Official announcements from the White House or legal documents

Biden Commutes Sentence of Leonard Peltier Convicted in 1975 Killings of Two FBI Agents

Jan 20, 2025, 06:54 PM

President Joe Biden, in one of his final acts in office, commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, an 80-year-old Native American activist convicted of the 1975 killings of two FBI agents during a stand-off on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Peltier, who has been in prison for nearly five decades and had previously escaped from federal prison, will transition to home confinement, with the order taking effect on February 18. The White House refused to issue a full pardon. The decision follows a decades-long international campaign advocating for Peltier's release, with pressure from over 120 tribal leaders and supporters who argue that he was unjustly convicted. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray had urged Biden not to commute the sentence, describing Peltier as a "remorseless killer." The FBI Agents Association expressed outrage over the decision.