http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/23/bush.pardons/ WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush granted pardons Tuesday to 19 citizens charged with a variety of crimes, but none was prominent.
Presidential pardon lists are being closely monitored in the final weeks of the Bush administration, to see whether former vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby will be granted the presidential favor.
One of the men pardoned is Charles Winters, who died nearly 25 years ago. His son had worked on winning a presidential pardon for his dad, who had helped smuggle weapons to Jews fighting in what was then Palestine in the late 1940s.
A Protestant from Boston, Winters spent 18 months behind bars -- the only U.S. citizen to serve time for helping fly weapons to Jews struggling to create Israel.
A 20th person received a commutation of a life sentence for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. That individual, Reed Raymond Prior, was ordered released from prison in February 2009. He will have served more than 12 years.
Bush has granted 191 pardons and nine commutations, far fewer than Presidents Clinton and Reagan in their two-term administrations.
There is a long tradition of presidents issuing pardons and commutations during the holiday season. More will be expected just before Bush leaves office in January.
