President Donald Trump has granted a second pardon to Adriana Camberos, a convicted fraudster, highlighting his administration’s aggressive and unprecedented use of clemency powers in his second term. This move underscores a broader pattern where Trump has issued over 1,600 pardons and clemencies since taking office again, far outpacing his first term and recent predecessors.
On January 15, 2026, Trump pardoned Camberos for a 2024 conviction related to a scheme involving deception in the resale of wholesale groceries and other goods. This comes after he commuted her sentence in 2021 for an unrelated fraud conviction. The dual clemency actions for the same individual are rare, though legal experts confirm that the presidential pardon power is essentially unlimited. CNN’s senior legal analyst Elie Honig noted that while most presidents wait until the end of their terms to grant pardons, Trump is doing so on a rolling basis, which could be seen as taking on political consequences upfront.
Trump’s second-term pardons have included a wide range of individuals, from January 6 Capitol rioters to political allies and donors. For instance, he has pardoned figures like Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Mark Meadows, who were involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The pardon of Camberos fits into this pattern, with the White House framing such actions as correcting injustices. According to The Guardian, this pardon was part of a flurry issued on Thursday, emphasizing Trump’s proactive approach.
Comparatively, Trump’s use of clemency has been more liberal than that of his predecessors. In his first year of the second term, he has granted roughly 1,609 pardons and clemencies, compared to just 148 in four years during his first term. Former President Joe Biden granted about 80 individual pardons over his presidency, while Barack Obama issued 212 over two terms. Trump’s actions, particularly the sweeping pardons for January 6 defendants, have dramatically expanded the scope of presidential clemency.
The appointment of Alice Marie Johnson as White House pardon czar has facilitated this surge. Johnson, who received clemency from Trump herself, now oversees pardon recommendations. Her role underscores the personal and political dimensions of Trump’s clemency decisions. As reported by multiple outlets, including CNN and The New York Times, Trump’s pardons often reward loyalty and financial support, with some recipients having close ties to his political orbit.
Looking ahead, Trump’s aggressive use of the pardon power is likely to continue, with Johnson guiding future clemency grants. This trend raises questions about the balance between executive power and judicial independence, as well as the potential for clemency to be used for political ends. The case of Adriana Camberos serves as a vivid example of how Trump is reshaping the norms surrounding presidential pardons, making it a defining feature of his second administration.
