A report released by a member of the U.S. House of Representatives asserts that approximately eighty-five percent of individuals granted federal pardons or clemency this year were white, raising fresh questions on Capitol Hill about how executive mercy is distributed and assessed.

The lawmaker said the findings were drawn from a review of publicly available clemency announcements combined with independent demographic analysis.

According to the report, the racial breakdown was calculated by examining the names and backgrounds of recipients listed in official announcements, as federal clemency records do not include race or ethnicity data.

The lawmaker argued that the results point to a need for greater transparency and more detailed reporting so that Congress and the public can better evaluate the fairness of the process.

The administration has emphasized that clemency decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, guided by legal standards and individual circumstances rather than demographic considerations.

Officials have noted that the federal clemency system does not track race and that conclusions drawn from external analysis can be incomplete or contested.

The report has already prompted calls from some lawmakers for clearer data collection and reporting requirements, while others caution against drawing sweeping conclusions from estimates rather than official statistics.

The debate is expected to continue as Congress examines the broader role of executive clemency and the balance between transparency, discretion, and justice.