Clemency.fyi

Press and research

Clemency.fyi Press and Research Desk

A public-interest database and investigation tracking presidential clemency records, financial exposure, access routes and evidence limits without overstating what the record proves.

Search the recordsMethod and evidence rules

What is available

  • A searchable record index covering Obama, Biden and Trump clemency actions.
  • Live CSV and JSON downloads sourced from official DOJ tables.
  • Financial-impact, access-route and evidence-quality fields with explicit review limits.
  • A published methodology, correction policy and change log.

Core findings

  • Counts alone do not explain how presidents use clemency; selection systems, legal effects and public consequences differ materially.
  • Paid advocacy and elite access are independently important even where the current record does not prove a quid pro quo.
  • Money claims require instrument-level review because a listed fine, loss or restitution figure is not automatically remitted or unrecoverable.

Citation and evidence standard

  • Suggested citation: Clemency.fyi, “Clemency, Money and Access,” accessed with the relevant page and record date.
  • Official records and warrants control grant facts. Court materials control adjudicated case facts. Reporting, disclosures and complaints are labeled and kept within their evidentiary limits.
  • A donation, lobbyist, broker, relationship or unusual sequence is a review signal, not proof of criminal misconduct.

Research links