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President Donald Trump’s abuse of the pardon power has been consistently corrupt, of course, but it also has been expensive: While the president made headlines last week by proposing to hijack around $1.8 billion from the Treasury to hand out to his political supporters, he already had come close to equalling that sum by means of the pardon power, depriving federal coffers—and crime victims—of some $1.5 billion in fines, restitution, and other obligations owed by—let’s remember this part—criminals.
Kevin D. Williamson is national correspondent at The Dispatch and is based in Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2022, he spent 15 years as a writer and editor at National Review, worked as the theater critic at the New Criterion, and had a long career in local newspapers. He is also a writer in residence at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. When Kevin is not reporting on the world outside Washington for his Wanderland newsletter, you can find him at the rifle range or reading a book about literally almost anything other than politics.
