Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) is calling for the elimination of presidential pardon powers, likening them to a “get-out-of-jail-free card” that she says can be exploited by corrupt leaders to free dangerous criminals and reward political allies.
During a town hall last week, the freshman Michigan senator argued that presidents of both parties have abused this rarely checked authority.
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“My feeling is that it is a quirk of history that does not make sense in America for either party, for either, for any reason,” she told attendees. “To me, it is just a strange thing that the president of the United States has a few extra chits in their pocket to give away.”
Slotkin warned that the authority could lead to “dangerous” outcomes and could be used to grant clemency to convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s associates. At the Trump administration’s request, the Bureau of Prisons transferred Maxwell to one of its least restrictive facilities, a move that has drawn scrutiny for its unexplained leniency.
“The president is … having this conversation with this woman related to the Epstein files, right? Ghislaine Maxwell,” Slotkin said. “She’s been moved to a low-security prison. … They are having conversations about a pardon.”
The presidential pardon is a quirk of history that does not make sense in America for either party any longer. Right now, we’re watching President Trump issue pardons to pay back favors. We should get rid of it for everybody. pic.twitter.com/wL2PcFrXKd
— Elissa Slotkin (@ElissaSlotkin) August 11, 2025
Under the Constitution, the president’s pardon power is broad, often described by the courts and scholars as “plenary” and largely immune to judicial or legislative override, except in cases of impeachment. While defenders say it provides a vital check on the justice system, critics argue it has been repeatedly misused to benefit political allies, wealthy donors, and well-connected offenders.
Slotkin, who delivered the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s address to Congress in March, has been rolling out a series of speeches that blend frank assessments of her party’s challenges with policy proposals and political pep talks, a mix that has at times rankled more progressive Democrats.
She has been advocating the abolition of the presidential pardon for months, arguing that the power has long been controversial and abused by both parties. She cited Trump’s early pardons for Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht and former gang leader Larry Hoover, corrupt officials such as Duke Cunningham, and Jan. 6 rioters, framing them as rewards for loyalty, not mercy.
Slotkin’s push comes amid renewed scrutiny of clemency across party lines, from Gerald Ford’s pardon of disgraced President Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton’s pardon of financier Marc Rich, and in the wake of high-profile decisions by both Trump and Joe Biden.
Former President Joe Biden’s clemency decisions, including a sweeping pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, mass commutations for nonviolent offenders, and final-day preemptive pardons for family members and political allies, have drawn sharp criticism.
“I thought it was controversial with President Biden, too,” Slotkin added. “It was controversial with everyone that Obama or Clinton or Bush did. So to me, it’s just this weird kind of literally get-out-of-jail-free card that I just think muddies the waters. When you have a president who has a deep, deep problem with corruption, it just can be taken to such a dangerous degree that he’s letting out pedophiles and criminals, violent people, because he’s paying back favors to others. I just can’t support that.”
THE PARDON POWER IS NOT MEANT FOR DIDDY AND GHISLAINE MAXWELL
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) is investigating whether some pardons were signed via autopen while Biden was allegedly mentally unfit for office, a finding that could open them to legal challenge. Biden insists he personally approved every pardon.
Altering or abolishing the presidential pardon power would require a constitutional amendment, a politically daunting process that demands two-thirds approval in both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures. The high threshold makes Slotkin’s proposal a long shot in the current polarized climate.