Biden Granted Clemency to ‘Kids-for-Cash’ Judge Without White House Reviewing Case Details
The Biden administration applied wide-ranging criteria in considering the nearly 1,500 requests for clemency.
TroibNews 
The White House recently commuted the sentence of the judge involved in the infamous “kids-for-cash” scandal, with an administration official informing PMG that the specifics of his case were not taken into account, aside from fitting into a general set of criteria.
This week, President Joe Biden granted clemency to former Pennsylvania judge Michael Conahan as part of a larger commutation affecting nearly 1,500 individuals released on home confinement due to the Covid pandemic.
Conahan's commutation faced significant backlash, particularly from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who condemned Biden's decision as being “absolutely wrong.” At a Friday event, Shapiro, a Democrat, stated, “I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania. Conahan ‘deserves to be behind bars, not walking as a free man.’”
In 2011, Conahan was convicted for directing juveniles to for-profit detention centers in exchange for over $2 million in kickbacks, leading to a sentence of more than 17 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. The U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania described the scandal as “the worst in Pennsylvania’s history,” resulting in the state vacating thousands of juvenile convictions.
The White House, however, did not focus on the particulars of the charges against Conahan during the clemency review process, according to the anonymous administration official. Instead, commutations were granted en masse to individuals meeting broader parameters, with the administration promoting the action as a historic display of mercy ahead of the holidays.
Commutations were offered to those under Covid-related home confinement after federal authorities confirmed that their offenses were nonviolent and unrelated to sex offenses or terrorism. The individuals also had to be assessed as low risk for recidivism, not engage in violent or gang-related activities while incarcerated, and demonstrate good behavior for at least a year. The official emphasized that there were no individual decisions made regarding the commutations, and no one who met the criteria was excluded.
The administration official characterized the commutations, including Conahan’s, as reflective of Biden’s dedication to second chances and not as a judgment on the individuals’ original crimes. However, the official also suggested that the impact on Conahan's sentence was less significant, noting he had served most of his term, was already on home confinement, and would likely have been released in August 2026 if not for the commutation.
Victims of the “kids-for-cash” scandal have vocally criticized Biden's decision following Conahan’s commutation. Amanda Lorah, one of the juveniles wrongfully imprisoned in the scheme, remarked to a local TV station that this move represented “a big slap in the face for us once again.” Sandy Fonzo, whose son took his own life after being placed in juvenile detention by Conahan, expressed her shock and hurt in a statement to the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania newspaper Citizens’ Voice, stating, “Conahan’s actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son’s death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
This week, President Joe Biden granted clemency to former Pennsylvania judge Michael Conahan as part of a larger commutation affecting nearly 1,500 individuals released on home confinement due to the Covid pandemic.
Conahan's commutation faced significant backlash, particularly from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who condemned Biden's decision as being “absolutely wrong.” At a Friday event, Shapiro, a Democrat, stated, “I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania. Conahan ‘deserves to be behind bars, not walking as a free man.’”
In 2011, Conahan was convicted for directing juveniles to for-profit detention centers in exchange for over $2 million in kickbacks, leading to a sentence of more than 17 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. The U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania described the scandal as “the worst in Pennsylvania’s history,” resulting in the state vacating thousands of juvenile convictions.
The White House, however, did not focus on the particulars of the charges against Conahan during the clemency review process, according to the anonymous administration official. Instead, commutations were granted en masse to individuals meeting broader parameters, with the administration promoting the action as a historic display of mercy ahead of the holidays.
Commutations were offered to those under Covid-related home confinement after federal authorities confirmed that their offenses were nonviolent and unrelated to sex offenses or terrorism. The individuals also had to be assessed as low risk for recidivism, not engage in violent or gang-related activities while incarcerated, and demonstrate good behavior for at least a year. The official emphasized that there were no individual decisions made regarding the commutations, and no one who met the criteria was excluded.
The administration official characterized the commutations, including Conahan’s, as reflective of Biden’s dedication to second chances and not as a judgment on the individuals’ original crimes. However, the official also suggested that the impact on Conahan's sentence was less significant, noting he had served most of his term, was already on home confinement, and would likely have been released in August 2026 if not for the commutation.
Victims of the “kids-for-cash” scandal have vocally criticized Biden's decision following Conahan’s commutation. Amanda Lorah, one of the juveniles wrongfully imprisoned in the scheme, remarked to a local TV station that this move represented “a big slap in the face for us once again.” Sandy Fonzo, whose son took his own life after being placed in juvenile detention by Conahan, expressed her shock and hurt in a statement to the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania newspaper Citizens’ Voice, stating, “Conahan’s actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son’s death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
