Gov. Tom Wolf pauses while speaking during a rally to end gun violence, Friday, May 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Matt Slocum / AP Photo
Governor Tom Wolf tops Pennsylvania’s record of pardons granted
He surpassed Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell’s record of 1,122 granted pardons.
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The Associated Press
Matt Slocum / AP Photo
Gov. Tom Wolf pauses while speaking during a rally to end gun violence, Friday, May 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has issued more than twice the amount of pardons granted by any of his predecessors, with at least a quarter of them targeting non-violent marijuana offenses, his administration announced Thursday.
Wolf, a Democrat, signed his final 369 pardons this week, for a total of 2,540 since he took office in 2015. He surpassed Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell’s record of 1,122 granted pardons.
Of the pardons, 395 were part of the expedited review process for nonviolent marijuana-related offenses. Another 232 were part of the PA Marijuana Pardon Project, which accepted applications through the month of September.
“I have taken this process very seriously — reviewing and giving careful thought to each and every one of these 2,540 pardons and the lives they will impact,” Wolf said in a statement. “Every single one of the Pennsylvanians who made it through the process truly deserves their second chance, and it’s been my honor to grant it.”
A pardon grants total forgiveness of the related criminal conviction and allows for expungement.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
