Donald Trump has set up his own task force to recommend and vet candidates for presidential pardons, according to reports.

The team of advisers is said to include his son-in-law Jared Kushner and a lawyer who worked on his impeachment defence case.

Under the new arrangements reported by the Washington Post, Mr Trump would gain more control over the process as he prepares to issue more pardons ahead of the US election in November.

Recommendations will go through the White House’s Office of American Innovation, directed by Mr Kushner, rather than the Department of Justice and the Office of the Pardon Attorney.

It comes after Mr Trump granted clemency to 11 people including former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who appeared with him on the Celebrity Apprentice TV show.

Many of the seven pardons and four commutations were recommended by the president’s wealthy friends and political allies.

Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Show all 13 1 /13 Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Everyone Trump has fired or forced out John Bolton Trump claimed to have fired Bolton, his national security adviser, while Bolton claimed he offered to resign. An anonymous White House source that Bolton's departure came as a result of the national security adviser working too independently of the president AFP/Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Anthony Scaramucci Scaramucci lasted only six days in his role as Trump's communications director before being fired by John Kelly, the incoming chief of staff Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Rick Perry Rick Perry announced his resignation just as he became embroiled in the president's impeachment scandal. The White House said Mr Perry was asked by Donald Trump to work with Rudy GIuliani in regards to Ukraine. AP Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Rex Tillerson Tillerson, Trump's first secretary of state, was fired after a series of clashes with the president over policy Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out James Mattis Mattis served as secretary of defense from the beginning of Trump's administration until retiring on 1 January 2019. However, the president later claimed that he had "essentially fired" Mattis Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out James Comey Comey was fired as director of the FBI early in Trump's presidency after serving in the role for four years prior. His dismissal is widely thought to have been related to the Russia investigation Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Reince Priebus Priebus, Trump's first chief of staff, was forced out after six tumultuous months AFP/Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out David Shulkin Veterans affairs secretary Shulkin claims that he was fired, the White House claims that he resigned Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out John Kelly Kelly, Trump's second chief of staff, was forced out after 17 months in office. His departure was a confused affair though it is clear that Trump wanted Kelly out AFP/Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Michael Flynn Flynn lasted 24 days as Trump's national security adviser before being fired for lying to the FBI Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Lee Cisna Cisna served as director of citizen and immigration services between October 2017 and June 2019 before being asked to resign amid a major personnel change in the department of homeland security Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Madeline Westerhout Westerhout served as Trump's personal assistant after leaking private information about his family AFP/Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Mira Ricardel Ricardel was forced out of her role as Deputy National Security Advisor after first lady Melania Trump publicly called for her to be fired

Three of them were women who served in prison with Alice Johnson, the former drug dealer whose sentence Mr Trump commuted two years ago following pleas by celebrity businesswoman Kim Kardashian.

Ms Johnson is one of those officially named as supporters and advocates for the grants of clemency. The others include Mr Trump’s associates Rudy Giuliani and Chris Christie, Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch and former acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker.

”I rely on recommendations, very importantly,” Mr Trump said as he announced his decisions on Tuesday.

The White House said the pardons had been issued ”in light of the decisions these individuals have made following their convictions to work to improve their communities and our nation”, while those granted commutation of their sentence had “paid their debts to society and have worked to improve their lives and the lives of others while incarcerated”.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley denied that the president had any political motives in choosing who gets clemency.

“The president is clearly against excessive sentencing, whether it’s Rod Blagojevich or Alice Johnson,” Mr Gidley said. “He does this because he wants to right wrongs.”