Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning are begging President Obama for mercy.
The two responsible for leaking sensitive classified information are asking Obama to use his unique power to commute or pardon them before he leaves office, Politico reports.
Although the requests are not considered likely to be granted, they highlight a last- minute push from criminals around the country to have Obama set them free before he becomes a civilian on Jan. 20, the day Donald Trump is sworn into office.
President Bill Clinton famously granted a slew of pardons as he was leaving the White House, including to fugitive financier Marc Rich, but was heavily criticized after doing so. Congress even opened investigations into Clinton’s 11th-hour pardons.
While Obama has granted many commutations — and is expected to grant even more in his final days — he’s likely to steer clear of overtly political ones like Snowden and Manning.
Manning received a 35-year sentence for releasing hundreds of thousands of secret State Department cables to WikiLeaks.
Snowden, however, has not stood trial and remains on the lam in Russia.
Politico reports that Gen. James “Hoss” Cartwright and former CIA officer John Kiriakou are also seeking pardons or commutations from the president for their roles in leaks.