President Joe Biden said Friday he is commuting the sentences of more than 2,000 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, cementing his legacy as the president who has issued the most individual pardons and commutations in U.S. history.
Biden said in a statement that commuting the nearly 2,500 sentences would help “equalize” sentencing disparities.
Biden last month commuted nearly 1,500 sentences and issued pardons for 39 people in another sweeping clemency action. A subsequent move to commute 37 death sentences left only a handful of people on federal death row.
According to the Justice Department’s clemency statistics, President-elect Donald Trump issued 144 pardons and 94 commutations during his first term. President Barack Obama issued 212 pardons and 1,715 commutations over two terms.
Perhaps the most controversial use of Biden’s clemency power came when he pardoned his son Hunter Biden last month. The move was sharply criticized by Republicans and even some Democrats.
In his statement Friday, Biden indicated that he could take more clemency action before he leaves office Monday.