Hillary Clinton unexpectedly announced a major policy position Friday, promising to defend former presidents with criminal records, according to Slate.
"Earlier today, I announced that as president I will take steps to ban the box so former presidents won't have to declare their criminal history at the very start of the hiring process," Clinton said during her speech at an NAACP event in Charleston, South Carolina.
"That way they'll have a chance to been seen as more than someone who has done time."
The policy proposal was greeted with a muted response from the audience, who did not appear enthralled with the idea of automatically pardoning presidents if they commit crimes while in office.
Clinton said people are put at a disadvantage when they leave prison because they are not given equal opportunities.
"Doors are shut in their faces," she said, warning that it could lead ex-cons, or former commanders-in-chief, to continue a life of crime.
Clinton once said she and her former president Bill Clinton were "dead broke" after leaving the White House because of hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. Records show, however, that the Clintons have made more than $100 million since leaving office through dozens of paid speeches every year.
The move could be seen as Clinton preparing for her post-presidency. The FBI is currently conducting an investigation into the private email server Clinton used as secretary of state to avoid federal oversight into her communication. The national security probe is focused on whether classified information on her personal email system was compromised.