President Joe Biden has granted commutations to two convicted officials from Pennsylvania and Illinois, sparking backlash from victims of the related corruption cases.
In Pennsylvania, the commutation was given to a former judge involved in the “kids-for-cash” scandal, where he took kickbacks for sending juveniles to detention centers. In Illinois, Biden commuted the sentence of a former city comptroller who embezzled $54 million from Dixon, a small town. Both officials had been released from prison to house arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these commutations end their remaining punishment.
Sandy Fonzo, whose son died by suicide after being involved in the “kids-for-cash” scheme, expressed shock and hurt over the commutation, describing it as an injustice. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro criticized the decision, stating it caused pain in northeastern Pennsylvania. Similarly, in Illinois, there was considerable fallout after Biden’s decision to grant clemency to the embezzler.
