Topline
President Donald Trump offered a final wave of pardons and commutations to 143 people early Wednesday morning, a list that includes former campaign chief Steve Bannon, several political operatives and rapper Lil Wayne — but despite weeks of speculation, Trump didn’t pardon himself, his family or anybody directly involved in the riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Key Facts
Former White House strategist and Trump campaign CEO Steve Bannon was pardoned on Wednesday, five months after the far-right political operative and onetime head of Breitbart News was charged with defrauding donors to a border wall-building fundraiser.
Elliott Broidy, a former Trump 2016 fundraiser who’s been accused of lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of foreign governments, earned a full pardon after he pleaded guilty last year for failing to register as a foreign agent.
Paul Erickson, a Republican lawyer and former boyfriend of convicted Russian agent Maria Butina, was pardoned after pleading guilty to wire fraud (a charge unrelated to Butina) in 2019; in a statement, the White House claimed Erickson’s conviction stemmed from the “Russian collusion hoax,” insisting a pardon “helps right the wrongs of what has been revealed to be perhaps the greatest witch hunt in American History.”
Three Republican former members of Congress were pardoned: California Rep. Duke Cunningham (who was released from prison in 2013 after taking millions of dollars in bribes from defense contractors), Arizona Rep. Rick Renzi (who was convicted on corruption charges in 2013) and North Carolina Rep. Robin Hayes (who pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI, part of a larger corruption investigation).
Notorious former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick earned a commutation from Trump, lopping time off a 28-year sentence (which began in 2013) for allegedly orchestrating a massive racketeering, bribery and extortion scheme while in office.
Lil Wayne, who praised Trump in an October tweet, secured a full pardon for the gun charges he pleaded guilty to last month, saving him from up to 10 years in federal prison.
Rapper Kodak Black also received a commutation, reducing a 46-month sentence that started after he pleaded guilty for falsifying gun paperwork in 2019.
Sholam Weiss earned a commutation, shortening the staggering 835-year prison sentence he was handed more than two decades ago for setting up an insurance fraud scheme (former Trump lawyers Alan Dershowitz and Jay Sekulow backed clemency for Weiss).
Florida-based eye doctor Salomon Melgen secured a commutation for orchestrating a Medicare fraud scheme, cutting short his 17-year prison sentence.
Trump also offered pardons and commutations to dozens of less well-known people serving sentences for drug and other offenses.
Tangent
Trump ultimately shied away from more controversial pardons for his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, his adult children or his son-in-law Jared Kushner. The president also did not attempt to pardon himself, which would have been an unprecedented and legally untested move, after several aides reportedly warned a self-pardon could make him look guilty of a crime. And despite some scattered pleas, none of the Trump supporters who broke into the U.S. Capitol building almost two weeks ago were pardoned.
Crucial Quote
Giuliani told Forbes Tuesday night that he’s not interested in a pardon.
Surprising Fact
Trump’s relationship with Bannon has fluctuated wildly in recent years. The president said his former campaign chief had “lost his mind” in 2018, but Bannon has reportedly spoken with Trump several times over the last few weeks, and he was involved in an effort to release damaging information about President-elect Joe Biden ahead of last year’s election.
Key Background
Trump has offered up fewer pardons and commutations than most other recent presidents, but he’s used his pardoning power in unconventional and controversial ways, often handing clemency to political allies and loyalists. Several members of his 2016 campaign team have earned pardons in recent months, including Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, George Papadopoulos and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Plus, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, father of the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and he’s granted clemency to high-profile supporters like controversial Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio and former Republican congressmen Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins.
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January 20, 2021 at 12:59PM
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