A pardon forgives an offense; a commutation just reduces a sentence — the words get used loosely, but they’re legally distinct.
Federal clemency is a presidential power that can reduce or forgive the consequences of a federal criminal conviction. It applies only to federal offenses, and it can change legal consequences without rewriting the actual public record of what happened.
Clemency can change legal consequences, but it does not rewrite the public record of what happened.
Guide to Government
Four Distinct Forms
Pardon
Forgives an offense — the broadest form of clemency.
Commutation
Reduces a sentence, without forgiving the underlying conviction itself.
Reprieve
A temporary delay in carrying out a sentence.
Remission
Forgiveness of fines or forfeitures specifically, separate from the criminal sentence itself.
What the Power Genuinely Cannot Do
Federal only, and it doesn’t erase history
The federal pardon power applies to federal offenses, not state crimes — a state governor’s clemency power, where it exists, is entirely separate. It also doesn’t erase historical facts, undo an impeachment, decide civil liability on its own, or control what a state court does. It changes legal consequences going forward; it doesn’t rewrite the record of what happened.
“Pardon” and “expungement” aren’t the same thing
A common misconception is that a presidential pardon erases a conviction from someone’s record entirely, the way an expungement can. It doesn’t — a pardon forgives the offense’s legal consequences going forward, but the underlying conviction typically remains part of the historical record. Checking the specific official grant, the type of clemency, and its exact scope matters more than assuming any of these related-sounding terms mean the same thing.
