Biden commutes life sentence for Native American activist Leonard Peltier
President Joe Biden on Monday commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist who has been imprisoned for nearly 50 years.
Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, was convicted in 1977 for the murders of two FBI agents during a 1975 shootout at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
The activist was convicted of first-degree murder for the deaths of FBI Special Agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler. However, his case has been widely criticized due to allegations of trial misconduct, including conflicting testimonies, withheld evidence and potential bias among jurors.
In a statement, Biden said the decision will allow Peltier to serve the remainder of his life sentence at home without pardoning him for his crimes.
Natalie Bara, president of The FBI Agents Association, said the nonprofit that advocates for current and retired agents is “outraged” about what she called a "cowardly" action. She said the loss of the agents felt as deeply now as in 1975 and that Peltier "has never expressed remorse for his actions."
“This last-second, disgraceful act by then-President Biden, which does not change Peltier’s guilt but does release him from prison, is cowardly and lacks accountability,” Bara said in a statement. “It is a cruel betrayal to the families and colleagues of these fallen Agents and is a slap in the face of law enforcement.”
A Controversial Conviction
Peltier’s conviction has drawn scrutiny over the decades. A key prosecution witness later admitted to fabricating her relationship with Peltier and falsely claiming she saw him fire the fatal shots. Additionally, a juror who expressed prejudice against Native Americans was allowed to serve, and evidence presented in other trials was excluded from Peltier’s case.
James Reynolds, the prosecutor who oversaw the case’s appeal, later called for clemency, describing the evidence against Peltier as “minimal.” Calls for his release have also come from figures such as Pope Francis, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as human rights organizations including Amnesty International and the United Nations.
Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chair Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, in December had urged Biden to act, calling Peltier’s imprisonment a “historic wrong” and a “miscarriage of justice.”
“If there was ever a case that merited compassionate release, Leonard Peltier’s is it,” Schatz said on the Senate floor. “Let an old man die with his family.”
Mixed Reactions
While the pardon has been hailed by many as a long-overdue act of justice, it has also reignited opposition from the FBI. Director Christopher Wray previously described Peltier as a “remorseless killer,” and the agency has consistently opposed his release.
Peltier was also denied parole by former Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Health and Final Days
Peltier’s health has been a growing concern in recent years. He suffers from diabetes, hypertension and complications from multiple bouts of COVID-19. Advocates said his condition was exacerbated by inadequate medical care while incarcerated.
Biden cited those health concerns as reason for his commutation decision.
"He is now 80 years old, suffers from severe health ailments, and has spent the majority of his life (nearly half a century) in prison," the outgoing president said in a statement.
Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the Paste BN Network. You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow. Savannah Kuchar is a Congress and Campaigns reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at SKuchar@usatoday.com or on X @savannahkuchar