since the founding of the United States presidents have had the broad power to Grant pardons for Federal Criminal offenses and commutations to reduce penalties US presidents through history have often used their paron power in 1868 President Andrew Johnson par in more than 13,000 former Confederate soldiers who were required to declare loyalty to the US government President Gerald Ford granted a full free and absolute pardon to his predecessor Richard Nixon who resigned because of the Watergate scandal in 2017 President Barack Obama commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning an army private who leaked classified military secrets to WikiLeaks president Donald Trump pardoned Charles Kushner the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner after he pled guilty to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations in 2024 President Joe Biden issued a pardon for his son Hunter Biden helping him avoid a potential prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax charges