Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) suggested President-elect Donald Trump would need to show “remorse” to be eligible for a pardon in his hush-money case.
Her comments come as President Joe Biden stays silent on issuing a pardon to lift the weight of Trump’s federal cases before he takes office.
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Biden pardoned his son, Hunter earlier this month, and is also considering preemptive pardons for those in his administration who may be targeted by Trump.
“There is a pardoning process in the state of New York,” Hochul said Wednesday. “It is lengthy. It requires a couple of elements. One is remorse.”
The governor hinted that no one, including Trump, will receive special treatment in obtaining a pardon.
“No one will be treated any better, or any worse, by me when I make those life altering decisions as we’re looking at petitions that are coming in throughout the year,” she said. “So, no one gets extra favors, no one gets treated worse.”
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Hochul has made 94 grants of clemency during her time in office, including a batch of 22 individuals she granted clemency to on Friday. Most of the people she granted clemency to had prior drug convictions that were decades old.
Individuals can fill out a form to apply for clemency in New York. On the pardon application, there is no mention of “remorse,” but there is a section that asks for “details demonstrating that you are a positive member of your community.”
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Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on May 30 after a lengthy legal battle. His legal team attempted to get the case tossed but Judge Juan Merchan ruled on Monday to deny their bid. Trump’s team has other avenues to explore, but his path is narrowing towards a clean slate.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Hochul’s office and the Trump transition team, but received no response.
