The Trump administration is declining to release the application that former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland made for the pardon of two federal convictions granted him by President Donald Trump in May.
The response to a freedom-of-information request by The Connecticut Mirror is consistent with a longstanding policy that applications and supporting documents may be released, but they generally are not.
“Please be advised that a search has been conducted in the Office of the Pardon Attorney but no responsive records subject to the Freedom of Information Act were located,” the Office of the Pardon Attorney said in response to CT Mirror.
The Justice Department says the president and his immediate staff are exempt from the Freedom of Information and Privacy acts, a combination that means the White House is not required to release pardon files but has the discretion to do so.
Trump has been generous in offering pardons, granting more since returning to the White House in January than most presidents recorded over the entirety of their terms.
Rowland’s pardon was among the 1,600 issued by Trump in the first six months of his second term, most coming on the first day, when he pardoned more than 1,500 rioters convicted of assault on police officers and other crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
By contrast, Trump had granted only one of the 421 pardons requested during the first 8 1/2 months of his first term, and 144 of 1,969 requested over his full four years. His successor, Joe Biden, granted 80 of the 1,666 requests over four years, including one for his son, Hunter Biden.
The Office of the Pardon Attorney lists statistics on pardons and clemency grants for every president from William McKinley through Biden.
Facing impeachment and a federal investigation into bid-rigging involving gifts and favors from state contractors, Rowland resigned July 1, 2004 at nearly the midpoint of his third term. He pleaded guilty to a corruption charge on Dec. 23, 2004. He was sentenced to a year and a day in prison, ultimately serving 10 months.
He was indicted a second time in 2014, accused of soliciting congressional candidates in 2010 and 2012 to secretly pay him as a consultant in campaigns for his old 5th Congressional District seat in violation of campaign finance laws. He was convicted and sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Given that the 68-year-old Rowland had completed his sentences, the practical impact of the pardon for him was limited. Under Connecticut law, his right to vote already had been restored.
As the Justice Department notes, a pardon is an expression of forgiveness and does not expunge a criminal record, though it can lift some barriers to employment, housing and education.
“I am very humbled and appreciative,” Rowland said via email after being pardoned in May. “I have been blessed with a wonderful family and friends that have been through a great deal over the years. This is a wonderful final resolution.”
Instructions on seeking a pardon advise that petitioners, and anyone submitting testimony in support, can expect a degree of privacy.
“Non-public documents, such as this petition and supporting documents, the presentence investigation report, the results of any federal background investigation, and the recommendation of the Department of Justice are not generally available under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts.”
The instructions warn, however, that the privacy is not guaranteed: “[W]hile pardon-related documents in the possession of the White House traditionally have not been made public, they may be legally disclosed at the discretion of the President.
“In addition, pardon-related documents retained by the White House at the end of a presidential administration will become part of the President’s official library, where they become subject to the disclosure provisions of the Presidential Records Act.”
