In a surprising move, President Donald Trump has pardoned Scott Jenkins, a former Virginia sheriff, who was facing a decade behind bars following a bribery conviction. Jenkins had been found guilty of accepting over $75,000 in bribes to allow some businessmen to serve as law enforcement officers without proper training. Although sentenced to prison in March, Trump stepped in to grant him a pardon, claiming Jenkins was a victim of a biased judicial system under the Biden administration.
In his announcement, Trump described Jenkins as a "wonderful person," asserting that he had been unfairly treated. Jenkins, who was elected sheriff in 2011 and re-elected in subsequent terms, had reportedly turned to Trump for help after his sentencing. Prosecutors detailed that Jenkins had been bribed by eight individuals, including undercover FBI agents, in exchange for allowing them to evade legal consequences.
This act not only rescues Jenkins from serving time but also reflects a pattern of pardons for Trump's supporters, including a significant number related to the Capitol riots. Presidential pardons serve to legally absolve individuals of offenses and restore their rights, a power held by the president since the inception of the Constitution.
