No big names among Bush pardon recipients

WASHINGTON – Breaking a logjam of hundreds of pent-up clemency requests, President Bush Monday granted pardons to 14 people and shortened the prison terms of two others.

The majority of the felons who won leniency from Bush Monday are far from household names.

Andrew F. Harley, of Falls Church, Va., was pardoned for wrongful use and distribution of marijuana and cocaine after a court-martial by the Air Force Academy in 1985 caused him to forfeit his pay and prompted his dismissal from the service. Leslie O. Collier, of Charleston, Mo., had been convicted of unauthorized use of a registered pesticide. Obie G. Helton, of Rossville, Ga., was pardoned after conviction of acquiring food stamps without proper permission and sentenced to two years’ probation in 1983.

Several other offenders who won leniency Monday were convicted of run-of-the-mill white-collar crimes such as bank embezzlement, tax evasion or accounting violations.

Over seven years in office, Bush had awarded only 157 pardons and six commutations before Monday. People close to the process say that lawyers with political connections increasingly have approached the White House directly to seek relief for their high-profile clients, including former junk-bond king Michael Milken, former congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham, R-Calif., and former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards.

No one who received clemency Monday approached that level of renown. But because of Bush’s actions, Grammy Award-winning rap artist John E. Forte will be released after serving about half of a 14-year sentence for aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute cocaine.