President Bush considers pardoning former Texas housing agency board member

ProPublica, an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest, is reporting that President Bush is considering a pardon for former Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) board member Florida Bell Griffin.

Griffin was convicted and sent to federal prison in a bribery scandal surrounding the Texas Low Income Housing Tax Credit program.  During the trial, prosecutors said that Griffin stood to make at least $425,000 from the deal.  In 2000, she was convicted of bribery, theft and money laundering.  She was appointed a board member of TDHCA by George Bush while he was governor of Texas.

The publication notes that Bush has pardoned more Texans than residents of any other state.   ProPublica ranks the likelihood of a Griffin pardon as a 2 on a scale of 4.