Biden's decision to grant clemency to a doctor involved in a chemotherapy fraud scheme contradicts his longtime advocacy for the "Cancer Moonshot."

President Biden granted clemency to a doctor in federal prison for chemotherapy fraud, despite his longtime advocacy for cancer patients and survivors.

Nearly 1,500 prisoners, including Meera Sachdeva, a Mississippi oncologist, received sentence commutations from Biden last week. Sachdeva, who pleaded guilty to chemotherapy fraud, gave her patients only partial doses of their prescribed cancer treatment while billing them for the full amount.

In 2012, Sachdeva admitted guilt to federal charges of defrauding health insurance providers and Medicare by submitting false claims on behalf of her patients. As a result, she was sentenced to prison time and ordered to pay nearly $8.2 million in restitution.

Between 2007 and 2011, Sachdeva's patients believed they were receiving the full amount of chemotherapy prescribed and billed to their health care benefit programs, but in reality, they were receiving reduced dosages that were lower than what was prescribed and billed.

A judge in Mississippi was "shocked" by the way Sachdeva treated her patients during a critical period.

U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III stated in court that sending the woman to jail for 20 years for a small act is insignificant compared to the harm she has caused.

In a statement announcing Sachdeva's guilty plea, U.S. attorney Gregory K. Davis stated that the health care fraud committed by these defendants was a violation of public trust driven by greed.

"We will persistently safeguard the sanctity of our healthcare system and stringently implement our federal healthcare regulations."

The scrutiny of certain names on Biden's clemency list has intensified. Among those whose sentences were commuted or pardoned are Toyosi Alatishe, who abused his position as patient caretaker for individuals with severe mental deficiencies and physical disabilities by using their personal information to file fraudulent tax returns, and former Pennsylvania judge Michael Conahan, who was convicted in 2011 for his role in a "Kids-for-Cash" scheme, in which children were sent to for-profit detention centers in return for millions of dollars of kickbacks from the private prisons.

Biden's decision to grant clemency to Sachdeva is notable because it diverges from his longstanding support for cancer patients.

In 2016, Vice President Biden launched the Cancer Moonshot, which aimed to unite cancer researchers and speed up scientific advancements in cancer research. This initiative was revealed following the death of his son, Beau Biden, from a rare form of brain cancer.

In a statement last week, Biden declared that America was founded on the promise of opportunity and second chances.

Biden, as president, has the privilege of granting mercy to those who have shown remorse and rehabilitation, allowing Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to eliminate sentencing disparities for nonviolent offenders, particularly those convicted of drug offenses.