DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: So what are the benefits of a presidential pardon? We have the answer in today's "ASK CNN" segment.</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): CNN viewer Fae Ekerson from Snohomish, Washington, asks</s>CNN: "The news has been full of the presidential pardons. I've heard no one explain what the benefits of a pardon are." (on camera): What a pardon basically does is it allows an individual to recover many of the rights he or she lost after being convicted of a felony, and this includes the right to vote. But a pardon also has the intangible benefit of in some way clearing a person's name because presidents often pardon people convicted of crimes who have served out their entire sentences. And that is why the case of fugitive financier Marc Rich is so controversial. Rich fled the country and has not been prosecuted for the crimes he's accused of and has not served any time in prison. But just a few days ago, former President Clinton told reporters that based on the facts, he believes a pardon of Marc Rich was justified.</s>WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I take full responsibility for it. It was my decision, nobody else made the decision, but I handled it in what I thought was the most appropriate way, given all the interests that were in play here. And I think if you look at, it makes sense.</s>WALLACE: Under the Constitution, the president is given the power to grant a pardon to show mercy on those convicted of crimes. The president can also show mercy on those imprisoned for felonies by reducing all or part of their remaining sentence.
Ask CNN: What Is Presidential Pardon?