‘DOUBLE JEOPARDY’

U.S. Attorney Probing Bevin’s Pardon Recipients for Potential Federal Crimes

Russell Coleman said that he is “concerned” the sex offenders pardoned by the former Kentucky governor pose a “risk to the public.”

U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman said on Monday that he will examine whether any of the Kentucky inmates pardoned by former Gov. Matt Bevin committed federal crimes, adding that he is “concerned about the risk to the public by those previously convicted of sex offenses.” Bevin has been highly criticized for issuing more than 600 pardons and sentence reductions—including for convicted rapists, murderers, and child molesters—right before he left office on Dec. 10. The FBI has since started asking questions about his pardons, according to The Courier Journal. Coleman said his office will examine the pardon recipients “through the lens of the statute of limitations, double jeopardy, and evidentiary requirements to determine if it meets Department of Justice standards to then aggressively prosecute.” He also noted that “by virtue of state pardon,” those previously convicted of sex offenses will “not fall under any post-release supervision or be required to register as sex offenders.”