{"id":2392786,"date":"2025-01-20T16:09:08","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T21:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-commutes-sentence-of-native-american-activist-convicted-of-killing-fbi-agents-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-20T16:10:03","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T21:10:03","slug":"biden-commutes-sentence-of-native-american-activist-convicted-of-killing-fbi-agents-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-commutes-sentence-of-native-american-activist-convicted-of-killing-fbi-agents-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden commutes sentence of Native American activist convicted of killing FBI agents &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-commutes-sentence-of-native-american-activist-convicted-of-killing-fbi-agents-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2392786&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In a significant decision made just before\u2063 the inauguration of President \u200bDonald Trump,President \u200bJoe Biden commuted the life sentence \u2063of Leonard Peltier,a Native American activist \u2062who has been incarcerated\u200b for nearly 50 years for the 1975 murders of two FBI agents. While this commutation allows the 80-year-old Peltier to serve the\u200c remainder of his sentence\u2062 under home confinement, it does not equate to a full pardon.\u200d Peltier&#8217;s case,\u2062 marked by claims of\u200c wrongful conviction, has garnered support from activists and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/taliban-institutes-extreme-new-crackdown-on-women\/\" title=\"Taliban Institutes Extreme New Crackdown on Women\">human rights\u2064 advocates<\/a>, including Pope Francis. The decision elicited mixed\u2062 reactions; supporters see him as a symbol of\u2063 the injustices faced by Native Americans, while critics argue it undermines accountability for the agents&#8217; \u2064deaths. Interior secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American in a Cabinet\u2063 position, praised the commutation as a vital step toward justice for \u2062Native Americans.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Biden commutes sentence of Native American activist convicted of killing FBI agents<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1940454\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>In one of his final acts as president, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Joe Biden<\/a> commuted the life sentence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/native-americans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Native American<\/a> activist Leonard Peltier, who has been in prison for nearly five decades following his conviction for the 1975 killings of two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fbi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">FBI<\/a> agents. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The decision, made just moments before President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a> was sworn into office, allows the 80-year-old Peltier to serve the remainder of his sentence under home confinement, but it stops short of granting him a full pardon.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; Marchers carry a large painting of jailed American Indian Leonard Peltier during a march on the National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Nov. 22, 2001. (AP Photo\/Steven Senne, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Peltier was convicted in the deaths of FBI special agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler during a standoff at South Dakota&rsquo;s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. For decades, Peltier&rsquo;s case has been a rallying cry for activists, tribal leaders, and human rights advocates, including Pope Francis, who have argued that he was wrongfully convicted and that his continued imprisonment serves no justice given his poor health.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reactions to the decision<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">commutation sparked mixed reactions<\/a> across the political spectrum. While his supporters view him as a symbol of the injustices faced by Native Americans, critics argue his conviction represents accountability for the brutal deaths of two federal agents.<\/p>\n<p>Biden Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary, hailed the decision as a long-overdue step toward justice, saying she was &ldquo;beyond words&rdquo; about Peltier&rsquo;s commutation and that his release &ldquo;signifies a measure of justice that has long evaded so many Native Americans for so many decades.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I am beyond words about the commutation of Leonard Peltier. His release from prison signifies a measure of justice that has long evaded so many Native Americans for so many decades. I am grateful that Leonard can now go home to his family. I applaud President Biden for this&hellip;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DebHaalandNM\/status\/1881384932884566511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>However, critics, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-virginia-state-sen-glen-sturtevant-projected-to-defeat-amanda-chase-in-republican-primary\/\" title=\"Glen Sturtevant set to beat Amanda Chase in GOP primary.\">including law enforcement officials<\/a>, have sharply opposed the move. FBI officials, including outgoing Director Christopher Wray, have consistently maintained Peltier&rsquo;s guilt, with Wray opposing his application for parole last year.<\/p>\n<p>Ezra Cohen, an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute, called the decision a betrayal of justice. &ldquo;Perhaps Biden&rsquo;s most contemptuous move towards the justice system today was the pardoning of Leonard Peltier, who murdered two FBI agents in cold blood,&rdquo; Cohen said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Perhaps Biden&rsquo;s most contemptuous move towards the justice system today was the pardoning of Leonard Peltier who murdered two FBI agents in cold blood.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ezra A. Cohen (@EzraACohen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EzraACohen\/status\/1881401935519183245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Another polarizing last-minute move by Biden<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, as he leaves for a campaign trip to Madison, Wisconsin, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Biden on Monday also made a striking decision to pardon several high-profile former officials and lawmakers he worried Trump could seek to prosecute once taking office, including former Gen. Mark Milley, former White House chief medical adviser Dr.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3257413\/biden-pardons-fauci-preemptively\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Anthony Fauci<\/a>, and members of the defunct Jan. 6 committee.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly thereafter, Biden pardoned five of his family members, including his brother James, a move that was foreshadowed in the weeks before leaving office.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Biden&rsquo;s commutation of Peltier&rsquo;s sentence was part of a broader clemency push by Biden that has been met with harsh criticism. Late last month, he commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 inmates on death row, a move slammed by Trump.<\/p>\n<p>He also commuted the sentences for 2,500 individuals on Friday, some of whom he wrongfully claimed were &ldquo;nonviolent,&rdquo; including several people convicted of illegally possessing firearms. Among those granted clemency were two men whose actions led to the death of a police officer, Ferrone Claiborne and Terence Richardson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1940454\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1940454\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Biden commutes Leonard Peltier&#8217;s sentence for killing FBI agents<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2392787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP8602010111.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3620,27310,48864],"class_list":["post-2392786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-biden","tag-commutation","tag-native-american-activist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP8602010111.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2392786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2392786"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2392786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2392790,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2392786\/revisions\/2392790"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2392787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2392786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2392786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2392786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}