Even Nixon didn't pardon his cronies on the way out. Amazingly, in his final 24 hours in office, Donald Trump found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon. — Noah Bookbinder, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Executive Director
Even Nixon didn't pardon his cronies on the way out. Amazingly, in his final 24 hours in office, Donald Trump found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon. — Noah Bookbinder, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Executive Director
Ethics watchdog slams Trump's last-minute pardons for Steve Bannon and Elliott Broidy: 'Even Nixon didn't pardon his cronies on the way out.'
  • A DC ethics watchdog has slammed Trump's pardons for Steve Bannon and Elliott Broidy.
  • "Trump has found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon," CREW said.
  • Both Broidy and Bannon are prominent Trump allies.
A Washington DC ethics watchdog denounced President Donald Trump's decision to pardon former campaign strategist Steve Bannon and fundraiser Elliott Broidy, saying that "even Nixon" wouldn't do this.

The statement was by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) shortly after Trump issued a slew of pardons and commutations just before midnight Tuesday.

In total there were 73 pardons and 70 commutations of sentences. Normally, the process — a tradition of an outgoing president — is reviewed by the Department of Justice, but Trump bypassed that step.

CREW's Executive Director Noah Bookbinder wrote: "Even Nixon didn't pardon his cronies on the way out. Amazingly, in his final 24 hours in office, Donald Trump found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon."