Yes, Members of Congress and U.S. Senators have been known to write letters requesting clemency, though so far none have done so for Mike Shirley (we will keep asking). It is ultimately the President's decision alone whether to grant a pardon or commutation of a sentence, and although he solicits recommendations from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney.
Below are some bipartisan examples:
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) (14 letters written)
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) (8 letters written)
Rep. John M. Spratt Jr. (D-S.C.) (6 letters written)
Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) (8 letters written)
Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) (6 letters written)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) (5 letters written)
Rep. John J. Duncan (R-Tenn.) (5 letter written)
Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) (4 letters written)
Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) (4 letters written)
Rep. Shelby Moore Capito (R-W.V.) (7 letters written) [1]
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Ma)
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)
Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) [2]
Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.)
Rep. Barbara Lee (C-Calif.)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) [3]
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.)
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) [4]
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) [5]
Sources:
1. ProPublica list of those Members who have written the most letters requesting clemency (2011). https://www.propublica.org/article/top-10-elected-officials-who-wrote-letters-on-behalf-of-pardon-applicants
2. 64 co-signers in addition to the main 3 advocating for those on death row. https://pressley.house.gov/2024/11/20/pressley-clyburn-scanlon-colleagues-urge-biden-to-use-clemency-power-to-address-mass-incarceration-before-leaving-office/
3. 33 co-signers on this letter advocating for mass-clemency and drug policy reform. https://goldman.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-dan-goldman-urges-biden-administration-pardon-non-violent-cannabis
4. Jan. 6, 2021, related: https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/01/nj-reps-jeff-van-drew-chris-smith-support-trump-pardoning-nonviolent-jan-6-2021-offenders
5. Related to George Santos pardon. Rep. Higgins later joined in. https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-marjorie-taylor-greene-bffe84ad45cdb140ec81b353238b1242
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) (14 letters written)
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) (8 letters written)
Rep. John M. Spratt Jr. (D-S.C.) (6 letters written)
Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) (8 letters written)
Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) (6 letters written)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) (5 letters written)
Rep. John J. Duncan (R-Tenn.) (5 letter written)
Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) (4 letters written)
Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) (4 letters written)
Rep. Shelby Moore Capito (R-W.V.) (7 letters written) [1]
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Ma)
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)
Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) [2]
Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.)
Rep. Barbara Lee (C-Calif.)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) [3]
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.)
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) [4]
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) [5]
Sources:
1. ProPublica list of those Members who have written the most letters requesting clemency (2011). https://www.propublica.org/article/top-10-elected-officials-who-wrote-letters-on-behalf-of-pardon-applicants
2. 64 co-signers in addition to the main 3 advocating for those on death row. https://pressley.house.gov/2024/11/20/pressley-clyburn-scanlon-colleagues-urge-biden-to-use-clemency-power-to-address-mass-incarceration-before-leaving-office/
3. 33 co-signers on this letter advocating for mass-clemency and drug policy reform. https://goldman.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-dan-goldman-urges-biden-administration-pardon-non-violent-cannabis
4. Jan. 6, 2021, related: https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/01/nj-reps-jeff-van-drew-chris-smith-support-trump-pardoning-nonviolent-jan-6-2021-offenders
5. Related to George Santos pardon. Rep. Higgins later joined in. https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-marjorie-taylor-greene-bffe84ad45cdb140ec81b353238b1242