What happens when the Office of the Pardon Attorney receives a federal pardon request?
When a pardon request is filed, the Office of the Pardon Attorney handles the request much like it would handle a request for a commutation. The biggest difference is that the application is also referred to the FBI for a complete background check and investigation. This investigation can take between 18 months and two years to complete and includes a check on the applicant’s criminal history and, frequently, interviews with the applicant’s neighbors, current and former employers, and probation officer. Once the investigation is complete, the Office of the Pardon Attorney will write a recommendation and forward it to the deputy attorney general and, finally, the White House counsel and the president, who makes the final decision.
