Obama issues pardons, commutations

President Obama made Christmas-time commutations of 95 federal prisoners on Friday and issued pardons to two others, the White House announced.
Most of the commutations dealt with drug offenses, though the pardons involved counterfeiting and bank fraud.


Obama has now commuted the prison sentences of 184 people, surpassing the combined number of those granted by presidents Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush (117), the White House said in a statement.

Friday's list included 40 people serving life sentences.

Obama has pledged to issue more pardons and commutations in 2016.