Are you still a felon if you receive a presidential pardon?

A presidential pardon excuses the punishments of a felony, but the crime isn’t automatically overturned or erased from one’s record.

Adam Johnson, photographed with Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, announced he’s running for office in Manatee County. He was among nearly 1,600 people pardoned by President Trump. Johnson — who was convicted of a misdemeanor — and others convicted of felonies had their civil rights restored by the pardon, allowing them to hold office.

Legal interpretations of pardons have evolved over the years. In 1866, a court ruled a pardon acts as if that person never committed the felony.

Carlesi v. New York (1914), however, said a pardon doesn’t erase the facts of a crime; Nixon v. United States (1993) said it sets aside punishment but doesn’t overturn a conviction.

Editor’s Note: This fact brief was updated to clarify that Adam Johnson was convicted of a misdemeanor.