FBI Looking Into Controversial Pardons Made By Former Republican Governor Matt Bevin

The FBI is reportedly looking into former Kentucky Republican Governor Matt Bevin over many of the recent controversial pardons that he made in his last days as governor.

“State Rep. Chris Harris, D-Forest Hills, told reporters that a criminal investigator contacted him last week and asked what he knew about Bevin’s pardons,” The Courier Journal reported. “Harris did not elaborate on what questions were asked, and he declined to say which law enforcement agency contacted him.”

“I can confirm that I have been contacted by someone looking into the pardons that were issued by Gov. Bevin on his way out the door,” Harris said. “The impression I got is that there was an investigation ramping up.”

Multiple sources told The Courier Journal this week that it was the FBI that contacted Harris, although the FBI declined to comment on the matter.

Bevin issued over 600 pardons and sentence reductions in his final days as governor, including pardoning convicted murderers, rapists, and a family that had supported his campaign.

In a separate report by The Courier Journal, Bevin welcomed an investigation into his pardons and suggested that those who are attacking him over the pardons may be the ones who end up being prosecuted if the FBI begins investigations.

“You will see people subpoenaed, you will see people deposed, you will see people convicted,” Bevin said. “If the truth comes out, there will be people involved in this process on the other side of the equation that have very good reason to be very concerned right now. And some of them are the loudest people right now, and for good reason.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, slammed Bevin over the pardons earlier this month.

“Honestly, I don’t approve. It seems to me it was completely inappropriate,” McConnell said. “I expect he had the power to do it, but looking at the examples of people who were incarcerated as a result of heinous crimes – no, I don’t approve of it.”

Bevin defended himself in a lengthy Twitter thread on December 13, three days after his last day as governor.

The following are the 20 tweets published by Bevin, in order, on December 13:

1. America is a nation that was established with an understanding and support for redemption and second chances…
2. The criminal justice system is intended to find the proper balance between justice for the victims and rehabilitation for the offenders…
3. When it is not possible to guarantee more of either being accomplished by further incarceration, it is reasonable for a person to be considered for either a commutation or a pardon…
4. This is never an exact science…The entire criminal justice system hinges upon the judgement of third parties…
5. Over the past four years, I have reviewed hundreds of applications for pardons and commutations and have read thousands of letters and supporting documents…
6. I have read hundreds of pages of court transcripts and witness testimony as well as documents related to appeals that were filed in a few cases…I have spoken with many…
7. Not every application that was sent in was able to be fully reviewed… Those that were not reviewed, remain in the files for consideration by future governors…
8. Many that were fully reviewed were not granted…Many other applications were fully reviewed and resulted in either a conditional or full pardon, or a commutation of some part of the existing sentence…
9. Contrary to that which has been falsely stated by many, not a single person was released who had not already been scheduled for a specific release date or who was sentenced with the eligibility to be considered for early release…
10. The vast majority of those who were pardoned, have actually been out of prison for years and had fully paid their debt to society…
11. The myriad statements and suggestions that financial or political considerations played a part in the decision making process, are both highly offensive and entirely false…To repeat such uncorroborated rumors and lies is reprehensible…
12. At the end of the day, the responsibility for making pardon and commutation decisions falls on the Governor alone…
13. For anyone to question the motives and involvement of anyone else in the administration is highly inappropriate and irresponsible…
14. I personally spent hundreds of hours reading every application and file of those who received a pardon…I personally wrote every word of justification for each pardon granted and each sentence commuted…
15. Each case had its own set of facts, evidence, lack of evidence, supporting documents, reasons and unique details, most of which the arm-chair critics are not aware of…
16. Am I perfect? No…Never have been…But I did my very best, over many hours, days, weeks and years, to reach fair and just decisions…
17. Not one person receiving a pardon would I not welcome as a co-worker, neighbor, or to sit beside me or any member of my family in a church pew or at a public event…
18. No community is either more or less safe now, than it was before the pardons and commutations given over the past four years…
19. Good arguments could, in fact, be made to the contrary, based on what the earliest recipients of such actions have done with their lives in recent months and years…
20. We are blessed to be Americans, living in a land that offers the possibility of a second chance for those who have ruined their first one…