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Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is explaining why he doesn’t issue pardons. The GOP governor was asked about that this week in the wake of renewed attention for
Eric Pizer, a former Marine who wants to pursue a career in law enforcement career, but is unable to do so because of a felony battery conviction. “There are many examples like that out there, but there are many people who don’t have advocates for them, and one of the challenges I’ve always had is where do you draw the line on that,” said Walker, who has issued no pardons during his time in office.
AUDIO: Walker Q&A (2:10)
The governor said that historically, pardons have often been granted inconsistently.
“The bottom line is that there’s a lot of people in low-income situations who won’t have an advocate. Is it fair for them that a couple of cases get a high-profile?” Pizer’s case was the subject of a recent New York Times piece, which noted that he’d been forgiven by the man he battered 10 years ago. He has no other criminal record.