On Monday, President Trump pardoned former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins before the start of his 10-year federal prison sentence for bribery and corruption. The Republican sheriff was convicted by a jury who found that he received envelopes stuffed with cash and checks totaling more than $100,000 from wealthy citizens in return for deputy badges. The evidence against Jenkins included undercover photos and videos of the sheriff accepting the payments. It was what prosecutors and agents call a slam-dunk case — until the president intervened.

Under Trump, corruption isn’t what it used to be. It used to be a shameful act conducted in shadowy backrooms or darkened corner tables. When a disgraced official was caught and convicted, they often slinked off to serve their sentence in silence and humiliation. At least one state, Pennsylvania, even added plaques under lawmakers’ official portraits in the state Capitol with details of their corruption convictions.

Now, instead of begging for forgiveness from the public, the guilty are unashamedly pleading for a pardon from the president.