Final answer:
The statement is false because a presidential pardon can absolve blame for a crime but may not eliminate all legal consequences, while clemency includes pardons and commutations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a presidential pardon entirely eliminates a conviction for a federal crime, while presidential clemency only reduces the penalty for those convicted is false. Presidential clemency is an umbrella term that includes both pardons and commutations.
A pardon does indeed absolve someone of the blame for a crime and can secure their release from prison. However, a pardon does not always eliminate legal consequences of a conviction, such as civil liabilities. A commutation, which is also a form of clemency, merely reduces the penalties associated with a conviction, like shortening a prison sentence.