Trump's First-Year Pardon Record Revealed in Memo

A nine-page memo details the scope of President Trump's clemency actions, including pardons for January 6 defendants and restoration of Second Amendment rights.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A nine-page memo from U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin to President Donald Trump, obtained exclusively by Breitbart News, lays out the full sweep of the president's clemency actions since his return to the White House. The memo catalogs a pardon operation that has touched January 6 defendants, FACE Act targets, Second Amendment rights, and cases Martin describes as the wreckage of politicized prosecution under the Obama and Biden administrations.

Why it matters

The memo provides insight into Trump's approach to the pardon power, which he has used to correct what he sees as injustices and restore rights, in contrast to his predecessor's more mechanical use of clemency. The details revealed in the memo have received little mainstream media coverage, despite the significant implications for criminal justice and constitutional rights.

The details

The memo outlines Trump's pardons of all January 6 protesters, Ross Ulbricht, two Washington, D.C. police officers, 24 individuals with FACE Act convictions, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and Hunter Biden's former business partners. It also details the Firearms Rights Restoration Program, which allows felons to petition to have their Second Amendment rights restored. Pardon Attorney Martin says the two priorities were finding deserving Americans who deserve a second chance and identifying victims of prosecutorial overreach.

  • The memo was prepared in late 2025.

The players

Ed Martin

The U.S. Pardon Attorney who authored the memo to President Trump detailing the scope of his clemency actions.

Donald Trump

The former president who personally signed off on the pardons and clemency actions outlined in the memo.

Alice Johnson

Pardon Czar who helps identify deserving Americans for clemency.

Todd Blanche

Deputy Attorney General, with whom Pardon Attorney Martin has reportedly had a conflict.

Joe Biden

The former president whose use of the autopen for pardons and commutations is being reviewed by Martin's office.

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What they’re saying

“You even returned Second Amendment rights to deserving Americans with your Firearms Rights Restoration Program, which allows felons to request clemency, so that they can once again protect themselves, their families and businesses, and know the joys of gun collecting, target range practice, and hunting.”

— Ed Martin, U.S. Pardon Attorney (Breitbart News)

“Biden's use was crass, even dirty. For example, he used the autopen and broad grants of commutation to give thousands of people pardons or clemency. To this day, we are unsure what Biden intended, and we have had to review the actions. With the exception of his son Hunter, whose pardon received a wet signature, the rest of the work seems to have been done by staff and outsiders who had their own interests.”

— Ed Martin, U.S. Pardon Attorney (Breitbart News)

“I call it fake news. Over the past year, my colleagues and I at DOJ have worked on thousands of matters and cases, trying to help America and the American people. I'm proud to serve our nation, and anyone smearing and slurring against us is not telling the truth, maybe just for clicks. I'm proud to serve Donald J. Trump and his team – including Pam and Todd.”

— Ed Martin, U.S. Pardon Attorney (Breitbart News)

What’s next

The legal questions surrounding the validity of Biden-era autopen pardons remain unresolved, and the Pardon Attorney's office continues to review those actions.

The takeaway

The memo reveals a distinct philosophy behind Trump's use of the pardon power, focused on correcting injustice, restoring rights, and extending grace - a contrast to the more mechanical approach of his predecessor. While controversial, Trump's pardon record has significant implications for criminal justice reform and constitutional rights.