If the January 6 rioter pardons weren’t enough, President Donald Trump appears to be on another controversial pardon spree, with one of the pardoned individuals being yet another convict. This time around, the pardoned individual is a Sheriff from Virginia who was charged with fraud and bribery; now, he’s free.
The man in question is 53-year-old Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins, who, unsurprisingly, is a Trump supporter. Back on March 10, Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of accepting at least $75,000 in bribes in 2024. The deal was for Jenkins to enlist several businessmen as law enforcers without training, letting them carry firearms without permits.
A total of eight people– two of whom were undercover FBI agents– successfully bribed Jenkins in the form of cash and campaign contributions.
Since then, Jenkins was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery concerning programmes receiving federal funds. The convicted Sheriff was already poised to be sent to jail on March 27, but President Donald Trump swooped in and pardoned him, meaning he’s off the hook. Meanwhile, Trump had some explanations as to why he pardoned a seemingly random Sheriff:
“Sheriff Scott Jenkins, his wife Patricia, and their family have been dragged through HELL. He will NOT be going to jail tomorrow, but instead will have a wonderful and productive life,” wrote Trump in his Truth Social network, transcript courtesy of Reuters.
Trump also insisted that Sheriff Jenkins was only a victim of former President Joe Biden’s overzealous Department of Justice and that the convicted Sheriff is a “wonderful person.” After Trump was elected, Jenkins appealed directly to the administration for a pardon.
Jenkins isn’t the first to appeal successfully to Trump, however, as several individuals who have been charged for participating in the US Capitol riot back in 2021 have also been pardoned for their crimes.
Pardon the Criminals, Deport the Immigrants?
Immediately, President Donald Trump’s string of pardons has sparked some enraged reactions and concerns among US citizens online. Trump’s pardons immediately drew a contrast to ICE deportations, as there’s already a pattern that’s all too familiar. It’s worth noting that ICE abductions and deportations mostly target immigrants and people of color.
Meanwhile, those who have been pardoned are actual convicted criminals but are staunch supporters of Trump. So far, the Trump administration has pardoned more than 1,600 supporters (and criminals) while ICE has arrested 18,205 people– some of whom are innocent and weren’t even immigrants.
Such a worrying state of affairs in the US has prompted some satirical reactions and posts, most notably regarding how the Trump administration handles its supporters and critics.
“I thought we were deporting criminals 🤔,” wonders robbycakes
“Dude handed out badges for money. Convicted felon Donald Trump thinks this is OK,” points out AudibleNod
“This is the most corrupt presidency in modern history. Trump is a criminal, scumbag and everyone that supports him,” argues swift-sentinel
