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President Joe Biden’s recent clemency decision to end the punishment of two high-profile convicted officials — a former Pennsylvania judge involved in the infamous “kids-for-cash” scandal and an Illinois comptroller guilty of a $54 million embezzlement scheme — has left victims and local officials outraged.
The decision is part of a larger clemency package for 1,500 convicted individuals that the White House claims "deserve a second chance." However, critics argue the move undermines justice and disrespects victims.
Among the beneficiaries of Biden’s decision is former Pennsylvania Judge Michael Conahan, who was convicted in 2011 for his role in the “kids-for-cash” scandal. Conahan accepted kickbacks from private detention centers in exchange for sending juvenile offenders to their facilities, many of whom were wrongly convicted.
This scandal was one of the most notorious judicial corruption cases in Pennsylvania’s history. His actions led to the dismissal of over 4,000 juvenile convictions by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and Conahan, along with another judge involved, was ordered to pay $200 million in restitution to victims.
Like many others in Biden’s clemency package, Conahan had already been released from prison and placed on house arrest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, his house arrest was set to end in 2026, but Biden’s decision officially terminated the punishment. This move was met with outrage, especially from victims and their families.
One of the most vocal critics is Sandy Fonzo, whose son, Edward Kenzakoski, died by suicide after being incarcerated as part of the kickback scheme. “Conahan's actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son's death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power,” Fonzo said.
She described Biden's decision as a "deep injustice" for all those who continue to suffer from the aftermath of the scandal. “Right now, I am processing and doing the best I can to cope with the pain that this has brought back,” she added.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, also criticized Biden’s decision. Speaking at an event in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Shapiro said, “I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania.”
In Illinois, the fallout was similar. Biden granted clemency to Rita Crundwell, the former comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, who was convicted of orchestrating the largest municipal fraud in U.S. history.
Crundwell pleaded guilty in 2012 to embezzling $54 million from the city’s coffers to fund a lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of luxury items and a world-class horse breeding business. She was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison — one of the harshest sentences ever handed down for this type of crime.
Due to COVID-19, Crundwell was released from prison early and placed under house arrest, which was set to end in 2028.
However, Biden’s clemency decision freed her from any further punishment. Danny Langloss, the city manager of Dixon and former police chief who led the investigation into Crundwell’s crimes, called the decision a “betrayal” of the justice system, the White House, and President Biden himself.
“When I heard the news, I was completely shocked and outraged,” Langloss said. “Justice wasn’t served here. I don't like the idea that, with several more years of her sentence to complete, she gets to walk free in the community that she betrayed and stole from.”
The controversy surrounding Biden's clemency decision goes beyond these two high-profile cases. The move is tied to the COVID-era policy changes introduced under former President Donald Trump through the bipartisan CARES Act of 2020.
This legislation allowed for the release of roughly 12,000 federal inmates to home confinement as part of an effort to reduce prison populations during the pandemic. Many of these individuals have since completed their sentences, while others remain on house arrest.
According to Margaret Love, a former U.S. Pardon Attorney, Biden's clemency decision simply formalized the release of this population.
“Many people who were sent home were convicted of white-collar or nonviolent offenses and were considered safe bets to behave in the community,” Love said, noting that most had already been living outside prison walls for years.
Love argued that Biden’s decision was not a case-by-case assessment but a broader move to clear a specific group of individuals from house arrest.
She criticized those now complaining about the releases, stating, “If you were upset that these criminals were being let out, you should have complained four years ago when they were released from prison.”
Biden’s latest clemency action comes as he faces growing bipartisan criticism for his controversial decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted of tax evasion and firearms-related crimes. The pardon has reignited debates about the fairness and transparency of Biden’s use of presidential clemency powers.
