Biden’s pardons cause anger and confusion in ‘kids-for-cash,’ record-setting public corruption cases

A number of Biden pardons are generating widespread anger as communities harmed by the criminals who were favored by presidential clemency received notice the felons have been released.

For example, in northeastern Pennsylvania, citizens are reeling after hearing the notorious “kids-for-cash” judge, who sent innocent kids to prison in return for $2 million in cash, has been set free under a presidential commutation.

Michael Conahan, 72 – a former president judge of the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas – and his associate, Judge Mark Ciavarella, sent kids to a county facility owned by his friend in return for the money, reported the Associated Press (AP). 

Courts later reversed 4,000 convictions involving 2,300 kids, said the AP.  

One teen later committed suicide as a result of his confinement. 

“I am shocked and I am hurt [by the clemency],” said Sandy Fonzo, mother of the dead teen. “Conahan’s actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son’s death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power. This pardon feels like an injustice for all of us who still suffer. Right now I am processing and doing the best I can to cope with the pain that this has brought back.” 

Even Democrats are crying foul on the clemency.  

“I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania,” Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said at an event on Friday, according to Politico. Conahan “deserves to be behind bars, not walking as a free man.” 

NBC News called the case “one of the biggest corruption scandals to hit America’s juvenile justice system.” 

Also released was Paul Daugerdas, 73, who was sentenced to 15 years in 2014 after being convicted in the largest tax fraud scheme ever against the federal government, according to the presiding judge.  

“Paul Daugerdas used his legal and accounting expertise to cheat the system and unlawfully deprive the government of over $1.6 billion of tax revenue,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara at the time of sentencing. “With today’s sentence, Daugerdas’s giant tax fraud scheme has reached its just conclusion under the law, with a sentence of 15 years in prison.” 

To put Daugerdas’ $1.6 billion tax fraud in perspective, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) just boasted about finding $4.7 billion in extra revenues by enhanced enforcement, after receiving $46 billion in extra funding. 

Biden fought hard for $80 billion in extra money for the IRS in his Inflation Reduction Act. 

Biden also commuted the sentence of the former comptroller and treasurer of Dixon, Illinois, Rita A. Crundwel, who was convicted in “the largest municipal fraud in United States history.” 

Crundwel, 71, stole $53.7 million over two decades “to finance her quarter horse farming business and life of luxury,” said the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Illinois’ Northern District.   

Dixon, with a population of just over 15,000 people, has a 2025 budget of $15.4 million. 

As part of the conviction Crundwel was ordered to pay all of the money back. But only $9.5 million was collected after the government seized her property. 

And as NBC News Chicago points out, “a commutation can include the lifting of financial obligations that are imposed as part of a sentence.” 

Dixon City Manager Danny Langloss called Biden lazy for the Crundwel commutation.  

“It’s just not right,” he said, according to Politico. “Just the laziness to carte blanche commute the sentence of everyone, or nearly everyone that was put on home detention during COVID, without even giving consideration to the victims or their crimes.” 

Biden’s clemency explanation said he included all those “who were placed on home confinement during the COVID pandemic”.  

Some are also criticizing the release of three Chinese “spies” who were set free as a part of a prisoner exchange between Beijing and the U.S.  

Released were Yanjun Xu, Ji Chaoqun and Shanlin Jin. Xu was convicted of espionage, while Chaoqun was convicted of illegally acting as a foreign agent in a conspiracy to spy on the U.S. military for Beijing. Jin was convicted of possession of child pornography and is reputed to be related to a high level Chinese communist official. 

In return, the U.S. secured the release of Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung. Swidan and Li were wrongfully detained by China as a part of the Chinese communist “hostage diplomacy” program to stash Americans in prison in return for Chinese convicted of spying. 

Leung was an FBI informant, collecting intelligence on China for the U.S.  

Including the mass commutations and pardons, Biden has issued 1,699 grants of clemency so far, just shy of Obama’s record of 1,927. 

Prior to the 1,542 pardons and commutations granted in December, Biden granted clemency in 157 previous cases, mostly involving trafficking of cocaine and methamphetamine. 

Biden pardons have already drawn intense scrutiny after he pardoned his son, Hunter, for crimes he’s already been convicted of, and for crimes not disclosed yet, dating back to Jan. 2014.  

With a month left in the administration, more pardons are expected.