Bill Clinton's pardon of fugitive billionaire Marc Rich on his last day in office sparked such controversy that it led to congressional hearings and was criticized as "indefensible" across the political spectrum.

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On January 20, 2001, hours before leaving office, Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, a billionaire commodities trader who had fled to Switzerland in 1983 after being charged with more than 50 counts of fraud, racketeering, and tax evasion—at the time the biggest tax evasion case in U.S. history. Rich had illegally sold oil to Iran while Americans were held hostage and remained on the FBI's Ten Most-Wanted Fugitives List. The controversy exploded because Rich's ex-wife Denise had donated heavily to Clinton's presidential library and Hillary's Senate campaign. Major newspapers called it "scandalous" and "indefensible." Even longtime Clinton supporters like Jimmy Carter, James Carville, and Terry McAuliffe criticized it. The pardon led to congressional hearings investigating whether it was bought.

Bill Clinton's pardon of fugitive billionaire Marc Rich on his last day in office sparked such controversy that it led to congressional hearings and was criticized as "indefensible" across the political spectrum.

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