Susan McDougal
Who she was pardoned by: Bill Clinton
What she was pardoned for: Fraud and conspiracy
Why it was controversial: Susan McDougal and her husband were involved with the Clintons in a real estate deal. There were allegations that when Bill Clinton was governor, he had used his position to pressure a businessman into making an illegal, federally-backed loan to support the deal. Though the Clintons were never convicted of any wrongdoing with regards to the deal, McDougal and her husband were, and McDougal refused to testify to any wrongdoing on the part of the Clintons. Some saw her pardon as either payback for her silence; others saw it as a favor given to a close friend of the Clintons.