The Privatization of Justice
Beyond the high-profile political cases, the administration’s focus on white-collar offenders and “crypto-martyrs” suggests a transactional view of justice. When a president bypasses the Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney—the body traditionally responsible for vetting applicants based on remorse and rehabilitation—and instead relies on a hand-picked “Pardon Czar,” the process loses its legitimacy.
Justice, in this new era, is no longer a matter of law, but a matter of access. We are witnessing the emergence of a “spoils system” for criminal records. If you are a donor, a political surrogate, or a vocal defender on social media, the executive branch now offers a “get out of jail free” card that effectively overrides years of work by career prosecutors and grand juries.
