With respect to the case of Mr. Isaac R. Toussie, the Counsel to the President reviewed the application and believed, based on the information known to him at the time, that it was a meritorious application. He so advised the President, who accepted the recommendation.So, what exactly did Toussie do that earned him a prison sentence? He was a real estate scammer in New York City who entered a guilty plea in 2001 to making false statements to get mortgages insured by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Based on information that has subsequently come to light, the President has directed the Pardon Attorney not to execute and deliver a Grant of Clemency to Mr. Toussie. The Pardon Attorney has not provided a recommendation on Mr. Toussie's case because it was filed less than five years from completion of his sentence. The President believes that the Pardon Attorney should have an opportunity to review this case before a decision on clemency is made.
He sold poorly constructed new homes at inflated prices.
Why did President Bush take the extraordinary step of rescinding the pardon (which to my knowledge has never been done before)? Well, seems that Toussie's father had donated $28,500 to the GOP, and Bush didn't want to have the appearance of impropriety.
I think the Office of Pardon Attorney did the President a grave disservice by failing to conduct due diligence to not turn up Toussie's less than stellar record, including additional criminal activities beyond those for which the pardon was sought. This was not a man who should have been considered for a pardon in the first place.
UPDATE:
PardonPower suggests that the issue involved isn't necessarily the GOP donation, but rather the speed at which the pardon was approved. It took four months, which is unusually quick for an application to wind its way through the process.
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