Gov. Mike Easley has been stingy about pardons, and there's no sign that he's going to go on a Clinton-like pardon spree in his final weeks.

Easley, a former prosecutor, has received 756 requests for pardons during his nearly eight years in office, according to spokesman Seth Effron. He has granted five, all cases in which DNA or other evidence exonerated the applicant.

Effron said he knew of no forthcoming pardons, but Easley is in office until Jan. 10.

"There are requests pending," Effron said.

Pardons have drawn more scrutiny since then-President Clinton granted 140 pardons on his last day in office in 2001, including for Marc Rich, a fugitive from a multi-million dollar tax evasion case, whose wife had given money to the Clinton library (current headline exhibit: "Art of the Chopper," as in motorcycles) and Hillary Clinton's senate campaign.