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Trump’s pardons are harming violent crime survivors. Congress must act

12 0
23.04.2026

Donald Trump’s aggressive use of the presidential pardon power isn’t just controversial – it’s also stripping resources from victims of violent crime.

According to new reporting from the Trace, shared with the Guardian, the 117 pardons issued in Trump’s second term have erased at least $113m in fines and penalties that would otherwise have supported a fund for violent crime victims, along with domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers and child abuse treatment programs. Those programs are now being forced to do more with less.

The beneficiaries of these pardons tell their own story: white-collar offenders who stand to gain from a lucrative “pardon-shopping” industry, where lobbyists reportedly charge upwards of $1m to secure clemency for the wealthy and well-connected. Among them are crypto magnates and even........

© The Guardian