Honestly, who knows. And would be it be for something so common & mundane as money?

Perhaps it was because Trump saw in Rod someone like himself; it is said that Trump figures everyone is cheating and has the knives out so why not him first? Maybe he figured that good ‘ol Rod was “unfairly” targeted when everyone is dirty. The reasoning continues that if everyone is dirty then it is unfair that any one person gets in trouble.

Commuting/pardoning some of these folks would surely bring some amount of gratitude that may pay off later in terms of influence. If Trump is ever convicted maybe these people would influence the next president to grant clemency too…

There is probably some sort of (twisted) logic at play, but we don’t really know what. What is so maddening to me, and others, is that Trump (and other presidents to a much lesser degree) pardoned and commuted real dirt bags. Generally people who had flown among the higher echelons but got caught. There are advantages to that… even after being imprisoned.

Meanwhile, lots of prisoners who have been wrongfully convicted, who have become worthy of mercy languish because they are poor, nobodies, anonymous.