The Citizen Edition Logo June 16, 2026
U.S. News / Politics

Pardon My Questions, Folks

As I sit here typing away, trying to make sense of it all, my mind keeps wandering back to the news that's been circulating lately. It's like a big ol' puzzle, and I'm trying to find the missing piece that'll help me understand what's really going on.

Recently, I read about two Democratic members of Congress, Senator Peter Welch from Vermont and Congressman Dave Min from California, who sent letters to the White House, Justice Department, and U.S. Secret Service requesting that they retain communication records related to pardons granted by President Donald Trump. Now, I ain't no expert, but it seems like these lawmakers are trying to get to the bottom of things.

The reason for their request is that some of these pardons have gone to people who didn't exactly meet the criteria set forth by the Justice Department. For instance, Trevor Milton, a businessman who was convicted of defrauding investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars, received a pardon from Trump. Now, I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but it does raise some questions.

According to Reuters, 96% of Trump's clemencies this term have gone to people like Milton who didn't exactly fit the bill. That's a whole lotta pardons going out to folks who might not deserve 'em. And that got me thinking - what's the real reason behind all these pardons?

Now, I know some folks might say it's just Trump exercising his constitutional power as president, but Senator Welch and Congressman Min aren't buying that. They're saying that there might be some impropriety going on, some "pay-to-play" dynamics at work.

I don't pretend to know what went on in the White House or the Justice Department, but it seems like these lawmakers are trying to get to the truth. And I gotta say, I'm right there with 'em. As a citizen of this great nation, I want to know that my leaders are acting with integrity and transparency.

So, let's see what happens next. Will we find out more about these pardons and the people who received 'em? Only time will tell. But in the meantime, I'll just keep on keeping on, trying to make sense of it all.

Written by: Boris Gulp | The Citizen Edition

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