President Donald Trump has authorized a new series of pardons and commutations, extending clemency to over twenty individuals in recent days. This wave includes prominent figures such as a former governor of Puerto Rico and the father of a significant donor to a pro-Trump political action committee.
Details of the Recent Clemency Actions
On Thursday, the president issued 13 pardons and 8 commutations. An additional pardon was announced on Friday for Terren Peizer, a former healthcare executive convicted of insider trading. Peizer, a resident of both Puerto Rico and California, was sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined $5.25 million for a scheme to avoid over $12.5 million in losses.
Among those pardoned was former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez. She had pleaded guilty in August 2024 to a campaign finance violation. Federal prosecutors had sought a one-year prison sentence, which was pending at the time of her pardon. Her case also involved a former FBI agent and a Venezuelan banker.
The banker, Julio Herrera Velutini, is the father of Isabela Herrera, who donated $2.5 million to Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC in 2024 and gave an additional $1 million last summer. The former FBI agent in the case, Mark Rossini, was also pardoned by the president.
Repeat Offender and Previous Pardons
Another notable case is that of Adriana Camberos. President Trump had commuted her sentence in 2021 for her role in a counterfeit 5-Hour Energy drink scheme. However, in 2024, she and her brother Andres were convicted in a separate fraud case involving wholesale groceries. They lied to manufacturers to obtain deep discounts by claiming products were for export or institutions, then sold them at higher prices in the U.S.
This recent flurry adds to a pattern of clemencies during Trump's second term, many targeting cases once highlighted by federal prosecutors. The administration has also taken steps to weaken oversight mechanisms, including firing the Justice Department's pardon attorney.
These actions follow previous high-profile pardons granted by Trump, such as those for former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, former Connecticut Governor John Rowland, and former Congressman Michael Grimm. The president also pardoned reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley and Texas Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar, though he later expressed regret over the latter when Cuellar did not switch party allegiance.
The continued use of presidential pardon power underscores ongoing debates about justice, political influence, and the erosion of traditional guardrails in Washington.
