President Trump has granted clemency to nearly 90 people since taking office — and can continue to exercise that power until President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in at noon on Wednesday.
The recipients of Trump’s mercy include long-dead historical figures, non-violent drug offenders, former members of the US military and Border Patrol, political allies, campaign aides convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe and even his son-in-law’s father.
Trump’s two-day, pre-Christmas blitz of pardons and commutations has sparked speculation that he’s not done yet, with lawmakers lobbying on behalf of National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
The deadly Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters has also reignited controversy over whether he can pardon himself following his second impeachment Wednesday over an allegation he incited the mob.
Here’s the full, chronological list of everyone who’s been granted clemency by the nation’s 45th president:
Joseph Arpaio, pardoned on Aug. 25, 2017
- Former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., and an early Trump supporter
- Convicted in July 2017 of contempt of court for defying an order to stop locking up suspected illegal immigrants
- Faced a maximum six months in prison and was awaiting sentencing when pardoned
- A former US Army solider, cop and Drug Enforcement Administration agent, Arpaio came out of retirement to run for sheriff and continue “his life’s work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration,” according to the White House, which called him a “worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon”
Sholom Rubashkin, sentence commuted on Dec. 20, 2017
- Brooklyn-born, former vice president of Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant in Iowa that was the largest of its kind in the country
- Convicted in 2009 of 86 counts of bank fraud and other crimes in a $27 million scam uncovered after an immigration raid led the company into bankruptcy
- Served more than eight years of a 27-year prison sentence before being released to a hero’s welcome in suburban Monsey, NY
- Commutation of Rubashkin’s sentence was “encouraged by bipartisan leaders from across the political spectrum, from Nancy Pelosi to Orrin Hatch,” according to the White House, which said he would still have to serve supervised release and pay “substantial” restitution
Kristian Saucier, pardoned on March 9, 2018
- Former US Navy machinist’s mate
- Pleaded guilty in 2016 to unauthorized possession and retention of national defense information for snapping six cellphone photos in classified areas on the USS Alexandria, a nuclear attack submarine
- Served a one-year prison sentence before being pardoned
- Then-White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Saucier “has been recognized by his fellow servicemembers for his dedication, skill and patriotic spirit;” Trump later called Saucier’s sentence “very unfair”
Lewis “Scooter” Libby, pardoned on April 13, 2018
- Former chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney
- Convicted in 2007 of perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements during a probe into the leaking of CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity
- Avoided serving a 30-month prison sentence when then-President George W. Bush commuted his sentence shortly after it was handed down
- “I don’t know Mr. Libby, but for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly,” Trump said in a prepared statement. “Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life”
Jack Johnson, posthumously pardoned on May 24, 2018
- First black heavyweight boxing champion — known as the “Galveston Giant” — who died in a 1946 car crash
- Convicted in 1913 of violating the Mann Act by bringing his white girlfriend across state lines before their marriage
- Fled to Europe to avoid a one-year prison sentence but later returned to the US and served 10 months
- “I am taking this very righteous step, I believe, to correct a wrong that occurred in our history, and to honor a truly legendary boxing champion, legendary athlete, and a person that, when people got to know him, they really liked him and they really thought he was treated unfairly as a human being and unfairly as a champion,” Trump said during a news conference
Dinesh D’Souza, pardoned on May 31, 2018
- Conservative writer and commentator
- Pleaded guilty in 2014 to violating election law by making $20,000 worth of illegal campaign contributions to failed Senate candidate Wendy Long of New York
- Spent eight months in a halfway house and was serving five years of probation and community service when pardoned
- Trump tweeted that D’Souza was “treated very unfairly by our government” and the White House said that “Mr. D’Souza was, in the President’s opinion, a victim of selective prosecution”
Alice Johnson, sentence commuted on June 6, 2018; pardoned on August 28, 2020
- First-time drug offender-turned-criminal-justice advocate
- Convicted in 1996 on eight counts of conspiracy, money laundering and other crimes in a cocaine-trafficking operation in Memphis
- Served almost 22 years of a life sentence before it was commuted following lobbying by Kim Kardashian; later given a full pardon
- A first offender, Johnson “accepted responsibility for her past behavior and has been a model prisoner,” the White House said in an announcing her first grant of clemency, adding: “While this Administration will always be very tough on crime, it believes that those who have paid their debt to society and worked hard to better themselves while in prison deserve a second chance”
Dwight and Steven Hammond, pardoned on July 10, 2018
were convicted in 2012 of arson, for burning 139 acres of public land.Handout
- Father-and-son cattle ranchers in Oregon
- Convicted in 2012 of arson for burning 139 acres of public land on which they had grazing rights to cover up an an illegal deer hunt
- Served about three and four years, respectively, of five-year prison sentences before they were pardoned
- The White House said the evidence presented at trial “was conflicting” as to the Hammonds’ responsibility for the blaze and accused former President Barack Obama’s administration of pursuing an “overzealous appeal” when they didn’t receive mandatory minimum sentences of five years each
Michael Behenna, pardoned on May 6, 2019
- Former US Army first lieutenant
- Convicted by a military court in 2009 of unpremeditated murder in a combat zone for shooting an Iraqi man during questioning about a roadside bombing that killed members of Behenna’s platoon
- Served a 15-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., before being pardoned
- Behenna’s sentence was reduced from 25 years and he was paroled “as soon as he was eligible in 2014 — just five years into his sentence,” according to the White House, which said he case “attracted broad support from the military, Oklahoma elected officials, and the public”
Pat Nolan, pardoned on May 15, 2019
- Former Republican minority leader of the California State Assembly
- Pleaded guilty in 1994 to racketeering after getting busted by the FBI in a political-corruption sting operation dubbed “Shrimpscam”
- Served a 33-month prison sentence and became an advocate for criminal-justice reform before being pardoned
- “Mr. Nolan’s experiences with prosecutors and in prison changed his life” and “he became a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform and victims’ rights” who helped in the passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, the Second Chance Act, the Fair Sentencing Act and the FIRST Step Act, the White House said
Conrad Black, pardoned on May 15, 2019
- Former newspaper tycoon and friend of Trump’s who wrote the 2018 biography, “Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other”
- Convicted in 2007 of mail fraud and obstruction of justice in the looting of $60 million from his Hollinger International while he was CEO
- Served a 42-month prison sentence — reduced on appeal from 6 1/2 years — and was deported to his native Canada before being pardoned
- “An entrepreneur and scholar, Lord Black has made tremendous contributions to business, as well as to political and historical thought,” according to the White House, which said his supporters included former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Elton John and Rush Limbaugh
Michael Tedesco, pardoned on July 29, 2019
- Pleaded guilty in 1990 to conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and marijuana in Pennsylvania
- Served a one-year sentence before being pardoned by then-President Barack Obama in 2017 and pardoned again by Trump to correct a clerical error
- “By granting a full and unconditional pardon, President Trump has corrected this error, and Mr. Tedesco will now be eligible for the State licenses he needs to expand his car warranty business,” the White House said
Roy McKeever, pardoned on July 29, 2019
- Pleaded guilty in 1989 to using a telephone to distribute marijuana after he was busted smuggling a load from Mexico to Oklahoma
- Served a one-year prison sentence before being pardoned
- McKeever was 19 years old when arrested, “immediately accepted responsibility” and “has spent the past 29 years of his life atoning for his offense through charitable works in his community,” including as an active member of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas, the White House said
John Bubala, pardoned on July 29, 2019
- Pleaded guilty in 1990 to stealing government property for transferring automotive equipment to the town of Milltown, Ind., for maintenance use
- Served two years of probation before being pardoned
- “His primary aim was to help the town, and he sought neither compensation nor recognition for his actions,” according to the White House, which said Bubala “is actively engaged in charity work, volunteering at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, leading education classes on the American Flag, and serving on an honor detail for veteran funerals”
Chalmer Lee Williams, pardoned on July 29, 2019
- Pleaded guilty in 1995 to selling defaced firearms and other charges following the theft of at least 20 weapons and 16 boxes of computers from checked baggage at the Northern Kentucky International Airport
- Served a four-month prison term before being pardoned
- Williams exhibited “impeccable behavior,” his supervised released was terminated one year early and then-Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton restored his voting rights in 1998, according to the White House, which said he “active in his community and is uniformly described as a trustworthy man of exceptional character”
Rodney Takumi, pardoned on July 29, 2019
- Pleaded guilty in 1986 in the operation of an illegal gambling parlor in Hawaii
- Served two years of probation before being pardoned
- Takumi owns a tax-preparation franchise in the Navajo Nation and “is known in his community as an honest, fair and generous family man,” the White House said
Ted Suhl, sentence commuted on July 29, 2019
- Former owner of The Lord’s Ranch, a faith-based, youth treatment center in Arkansas
- Convicted in 2015 of honest-services fraud and related crimes in a bribery scheme to increase Medicaid funding for his business
- Served about 19 months of a seven-year sentence before it was commuted
- Suhl was “a pillar of his community before his prosecution” and “a model prisoner while serving his sentence,” according to the White House, which said his clemency was “strongly supported” by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Bud Cummins, former US attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas
Ronen Nahmani, sentence commuted on July 29, 2019
- Convicted in 2015 of conspiracy to import “vast quantities” of illegal chemicals from China to Florida for use in manufacturing synthetic marijuana, also known as “K2” or “Spice”
- Served four years of a 20-year prison sentence before it was commuted
- Nahmani’s clemency was supported by “many notable leaders from across the political spectrum,” including US-Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) and then-US Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), according to the White House, which said he was a “non-violent, first-time offender with no criminal history” and a married father of five whose wife was “suffering from terminal cancer”
Zay Jeffries, posthumously pardoned on Oct. 10, 2019
- Metals scientist who worked on the “Manhattan Project” and died in 1965
- Convicted in 1948 of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act for violating patent rights in the development and marketing of a cemented-carbide material known as Carboloy
- Fined $2,500 after a trial that was delayed following his 1941 indictment so he could contribute to the US war effort during World War II
- Jeffries’ “contributions to helping to secure an Allied victory” — as well as the support of US Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) and former US Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) — helped Trump decide he was “worthy of a posthumous pardon,” the White House said
Mathew Golsteyn, pardoned on Nov. 15, 2019
- In announcing that Golstyen’s case was under review, Trump tweeted: “Mathew is a highly decorated Green Beret who is being tried for killing a Taliban bombmaker. We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!”
Clint Lorance, pardoned on Nov. 15, 2019
- Former US Army first lieutenant
- Convicted in 2013 of two counts of murder and one of attempted murder for ordering a soldier to open fire with a machine gun on three suspected Taliban insurgents approaching their platoon
- Served six years of a 19-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth before being pardoned
- After pardoning Lorance, Trump criticized Army prosecutors for wanting “to put these warriors in jail for 25 years” and said Lorance “had many years left as a fighter.” “No, we’re not going do that to our people,” he added
Angela Stanton-King, pardoned on Feb. 18, 2020
- Pleaded guilty in 2006 to conspiracy to defraud the US in connection with a luxury car-theft operation
- Served six months of home confinement and three years of supervised release before being pardoned
- Failed Republican candidate in the 2020 election to succeed the late US Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia)
- Stanton-King “works tirelessly to improve reentry outcomes for people returning to their communities upon release from prison, focusing on the critical role of families in the process,” the White House said
Ariel Friedler, pardoned on Feb. 18, 2020
- Founder and former CEO of Symplicity Corp. a Virginia-based software company
- Pleaded guilty in 2014 to conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization for hacking into into the online networks of two rival businesses
- Served a two-month prison sentence before being pardoned
- Friedler has “expressed deep remorse for his actions” and since his release “has volunteered his time and expertise to promoting veterans issues and helping former prisoners reenter and rejoin society,” the White House said
David Safavian, pardoned on Feb. 18, 2020
- Former official at the US General Services Administration and Office of Management and Budget
- Convicted in 2008 of lying about his relationship with crooked lobbyist Jack Abramoff
- Served a one-year prison sentence before being pardoned
- Safavian “has dedicated his life to criminal justice reform” and “is a fierce advocate for policy changes that improve public safety, protect families and victims, and reduce recidivism,” according to the White House, which said his supporters included author and CNN political commentator Van Jones, American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp and his wife, former Trump administration director of strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp
Michael Milken, pardoned on Feb. 18, 2020
- Former Wall Street trader known as the “junk bond king“
- Pleaded guilty in 1990 to six counts of conspiracy and securities fraud
- Served two years in prison — reduced from 10 years for cooperating with authorities — before being pardoned
- Milken, “one of America’s greatest financiers,” agreed to plead guilty to “truly novel” charges in exchange for prosecutors dropping a case against his younger brother and since his release has “dedicated his life to philanthropy,” according to the White House, which said his pardon had “widespread and longstanding support”
Paul Pogue, pardoned on Feb. 18, 2020
- Owner of a Texas-based construction company
- Pleaded guilty in 2010 to filing a false tax return for evading nearly $475,000 in income taxes between 2003 and 2005
- Served three years of probation before being pardoned
- “Immediately upon learning of the tax deficiency, Mr. Pogue paid restitution, interest, and penalties” and agreed to plead guilty to prevent risking the jobs of his 150 employees, the White House said, adding that he’s made “significant charitable contributions” and “provided significant humanitarian aid to countries around the world” for more than 30 years
Bernard Kerik, pardoned on Feb. 18, 2020
- Former NYPD commissioner hailed as “America’s cop” following the Sept. 11 terror attacks
- Pleaded guilty to in 2009 to eight felonies for crimes that included evading taxes on the gift of $255,000 in apartment renovations, lying on a loan application and making false statements to the White House while under consideration for the Cabinet job of homeland security secretary
- Served a four-year prison sentence before being pardoned
- Kerik “embodied the strength, courage, compassion, and spirit of the people of New York and this great Nation as he served alongside first responders at the World Trade Center” and since his release has become “a passionate advocate for criminal justice and prisoner reentry reform,” the White House said
Edward DeBartolo Jr., pardoned on Feb. 18, 2020
- Former owner of the San Francisco 49ers football team
- Pleaded guilty in 1998 to “misprison of felony” for failing to report that former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards shook him down for $400,000 in exchange for a riverboat casino license
- DeBartolo served two years of probation and paid a $1 million fine before being pardoned
- During his 23 years owning the 49ers, “the team won an unprecedented 13 division titles and five Super Bowl Championships,” and DeBartolo “treated players and coaches as part of his family,” according to the White House, which said his pardon was supported by prominent NFL figures including Joe Montana, Jim Brown and Jerry Rice
Judith Negron, sentences commuted on Feb. 18, 2020 and Dec. 22, 2020
- Former co-owner of Miami-based American Therapeutic Corp., which operated a chain of mental-health clinics
- Convicted in 2011 of 24 counts of conspiracy, health care fraud and other crimes in a $200 million-plus Medicare scam
- Served eight years of a 35-year prison sentence before it was commuted; Trump later also commuted her sentence of three years of supervised release
- Negron spent her time in prison “working to improve her life and the lives of her fellow inmates,” according to the White House, which said the warden and her prison counselor wrote letters in support of her clemency
Rod Blagojevich, sentence commuted on Feb. 18, 2020
- Former Democratic governor of Illinois
- Convicted in 2010 and 2011 of 18 counts of wire fraud, attempted extortion and other crimes for corruption that included scheming to sell then-President-elect Barack Obama’s former US Senate seat
- Served about 8 1/2 eight years of a 14-year prison sentence and declared himself a “Trumpocrat” after it was commuted
- “People from across the political spectrum and from varied backgrounds have expressed support for shortening Mr. Blagojevich’s sentence,” the White House said, citing Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Rev. Jesse Jackson, former US Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) and others
Crystal Munoz, sentences commuted on Feb. 18, 2020, and Dec. 22, 2020
- Convicted in 2007 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilos of marijuana for her role in a smuggling operation through Big Bend National Park in Texas
- Served about 12 years of an 18-year sentence when it was commuted; Trump later also commuted her sentence of five years of supervised release
- In prison, Munoz “mentored people working to better their lives, volunteered with a hospice program, and demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to rehabilitation,” the White House said
Tynice Hall, sentences commuted on Feb. 18, 2020 and Dec. 22, 2020
- Convicted in 2006 of five counts of conspiracy and drug and firearms charges for letting her Lubbock, Texas, apartment be used as a crack stash house
- Served nearly 14 years of an 18-year prison sentence before it was commuted; Trump later also commuted her sentence of five years of supervised release
- In prison, Hall “completed a number of job-training programs and apprenticeships, as well as coursework towards a college degree,” “taught prison educational programs to other inmates” and “accepted responsibility for her past behavior and has worked hard to rehabilitate herself,” the White House said
Roger Stone, sentence commuted on July 10, 2020; pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Veteran Republican political operative and adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign
- Convicted in 2019 of seven counts of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing the House of Representatives’ investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election
- Was days away from starting a 40-month prison sentence when it was commuted; Trump later also pardoned Stone after he dropped his appeal
- “Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency,” the White House said, in reference to the Mueller probe
Susan B. Anthony, posthumously pardoned on Aug. 18, 2020
- Famed suffragist who died in 1906
- Convicted in 1873 of voting illegally in Albany
- Refused to pay a $100 fine but wasn’t jailed, preventing her from filing an appeal
- Pardoned on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote
- “The decision to posthumously pardon Susan B. Anthony removes a conviction for exercising a fundamental American right and one that we as citizens will lawfully employ this November,” the White House said.
Jon Ponder, pardoned on Aug. 25, 2020
- Three-time bank robber who pleaded guilty in 2005 to seven counts of bank robbery and interference with commerce by armed robbery in a series of stick-ups in Las Vegas
- Served a 63-month prison sentence and founded the Hope for Prisoners re-entry program before being pardoned in a ceremony that was recorded and broadcast before his speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention
- “Jon’s life is a beautiful testament to the power of redemption,” Trump said in the video
Lenora Logan, sentence commuted on Oct. 21, 2020
Lenora Logan served more than 21 years of a 27-year prison sentence.CanDoClemency
- Convicted in 1999 of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine with two accomplices in Iowa
- Served more than 21 years of a 27-year prison sentence before being granted compassionate release by the Bureau of Prisons on Aug. 13, 2010
- Served about two months of a 10-year sentence of supervised release before it was commuted
- In prison, Logan “heroically came to the aid of a Bureau of Prisons nurse who was under vicious assault by an unstable inmate” and “served as a suicide watch companion, a nursing assistant for those in hospice care and a leader of the praise and worship team,” the White House said
Curtis McDonald, sentence commuted on Oct. 21, 2020
- Convicted in 1996 on 10 counts of drug trafficking and money laundering
- Served 24 years of a life sentence before it was commuted
- Co-defendant of Alice Johnson, who lobbied on his behalf
- A first-time offender, McDonald “made productive use of his time in prison, maintaining employment with good job evaluations, and has completed numerous education courses,” the White House said
Charles “Duke” Tanner, sentence commuted on Oct. 21, 2020
- Former undefeated light heavyweight boxer from Gary, Indiana
- Convicted in 2006 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack, cocaine and marijuana and attempt to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while leading a drug-trafficking gang called the Renegades
- Served 16 years of a 30-year sentence before it was commuted
- “Although Mr. Tanner began incarceration under a life sentence, he immediately worked to better himself by enrolling in educational courses” and “completed hundreds of hours of educational programming, including an 18-month re-entry program that requires recommendation from staff and approval from the Warden,” the White House said
John Bolen, sentence commuted on Oct. 21, 2020
- Former fishing charter operator from Melbourne, Florida
- Convicted in 2006 of conspiracy and attempt to import cocaine and related crimes for scheming with two accomplices to smuggle more than 400 pounds of cocaine from the Bahamas on his 42-foot boat
- Served more than 13 years of a life sentence before it was commuted
- A first-offender with no history of violence, Bolen was described by prison officials as a “model inmate,” a “regular hard-working, blue-collar guy who simply stumbled along life’s path and made a mistake,” and someone who “displays dedication” in helping others, the White House said
Rashella Reed, sentence commuted on Oct. 21, 2020
- Former Atlanta teacher
- Convicted in 2006 of conspiracy and money laundering for being part of fraud ring that scammed more than $8 million in food stamps benefits
- Served about 6 1/2 years of a 14-year prison sentence and was released to home confinement before her sentence was commuted about four months later
- “While in prison, Ms. Reed used her teaching background to tutor inmates and facilitate children’s programs at the prison,” the White House said
Michael Flynn, pardoned on Nov, 25, 2020
- Retired US Army lieutenant general and former Trump national security adviser
- Pleaded guilty in 2017 to false statements for lying to the FBI about two conversations with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the transition period following Trump’s election
- Was attempting to withdraw his guilty plea — and the Justice Department was attempting to dismiss the case — when pardoned “for any and all offenses” within the jurisdiction of the Mueller probe
- “Gen. Flynn should not require a pardon. He is an innocent man,” the White House said
Phil Lyman, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Republican Utah state representative
- Convicted in 2015 of conspiracy and violating federal land policy and management for leading a protest of about 50 ATV riders through Recapture Canyon, home to Native American archeological sites
- Served 10 days in prison and three years of probation before being pardoned
- Lyman’s pardon was supported by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), former US Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) “and other notable members of the Utah community,” the White House said
Otis Gordon, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Convicted in the early 1990s of two counts of possession with intent to distribute a total of more than four kilos of cocaine in South Carolina
- Served a seven-year prison sentence — and became the pastor who led a prayer service at the US Capitol following the 2015 Charleston church massacre — before being pardoned
- Gordon’s pardon was supported by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C), who called him a “model citizen” who’s “focused on helping young men avoid the same traps he once fell in,” the White House said
Weldon Angelos, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Former music producer who worked with rapper Snoop Dogg
- Convicted in 2004 of 16 counts of drug and gun charges after selling a half-pound of pot to an informant in Salt Lake City on three separate occasions while affiliated with the Varrio Loco Town gang
- Served about 13 years of a mandatory minimum, 55-year prison sentence before it was reduced to time served in 2016 following a high-powered appeal
- The judge who imposed Angelos’ initial sentence called it “unjust and cruel and even irrational” and Angelos “has been cited as an inspiration for sentencing reform, including the First Step Act,” the White House said
Alex van der Zwaan, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Dutch lawyer and son-in-law of Russian oligarch German Khan
- Pleaded guilty in 2018 to lying to the FBI during the Mueller probe about his contacts with former Trump 2016 campaign aide Rick Gates and former Russian spy Konstantin Kilimnik
- Served a 30-day prison term before being pardoned
- Van der Zwaan “was charged with a process-related crime” and “voluntarily returned to the United States to correct his statements,” the White House said
George Papadopoulos, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Former Trump 2016 campaign foreign-policy adviser
- Pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI during the Mueller probe about his contacts with people who claimed to have Russian “dirt” on Hillary Clinton
- Served a 14-day prison term before being pardoned
- “At the time that Mr. Papadopoulos allegedly made the false statements, he was not represented by counsel, and, after he was arrested, Mr. Papadopoulos gave additional information on his prior statements to the Special Counsel,” the White House said
Chris Collins, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Former Republican US representative from upstate New York who was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump’s 2016 campaign
- Pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and false statements in connection with an inside-trading scheme that involved passing information to his son, Cameron, during a 2017 Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House
- Served about two months of a 26-month sentence before being pardoned
- Collins was pardoned “at the request of many Members of Congress,” the White House said
Duncan Hunter, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Former Republican US representative from California
- Pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to steal campaign funds for illegally spending more than $150,000 in political donations so he and his wife, Margaret, could enjoy vacations and restaurant meals while deeply in debt — and so he could allegedly engage in affairs with lobbyist and a staffer
- Avoided serving an 11-month prison sentence that was set to start Jan. 4
- Hunter’s pardon was requested by “many” members of Congress and supported by former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley Smith, who said the case could have been resolved without criminal prosecution, the White House said
Alfonso Costa, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Former Pittsburgh dentist, developer and friend of Housing Secretary Ben Carson
- Pleaded guilty in 2007 to health care fraud for scamming about $45,000 in dental-insurance payments
- Served three years of probation, including one year of home confinement, before being pardoned
- Costa’s request for clemency was backed by Carson and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, “as well as by numerous business associates, patients, and community leaders,” the White House said
Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Former Blackwater military contractors
- Convicted in 2014 on various counts of murder, manslaughter and weapons charges in the killings of 14 Iraqi civilians outside Baghdad’s “Green Zone;” Slatten re-tried and convicted again of murder in 2018
- Slatten sentenced to life in prison, Slough, Liberty and Heard sentenced to 15, 14, and about 12 1/2 years, respectively
- All served about five years in prison before being pardoned
- The pardons were “broadly supported by the public,” including Fox News host Pete Hegseth and nine Republican members of Congress, the White House said, adding that the lead Iraqi investigator “may have had ties to insurgent groups himself”
Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Former Border Patrol agents
- Convicted in 2006 of multiple charges, including assault and tampering with an official proceeding, for covering up the non-fatal shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler near the border in Texas
- Compean and Ramos were sentenced to 12 and 11 years in prison, respectively, and each served about two years before then-President George W. Bush commuted their sentences in 2009
- They had the support of 100 members of Congress, as well as the US Border Control Foundation and the Conservative Legal Defense and Education Fund, the White House said
Alfred Lee Crum, pardoned on Dec. 22, 2020
- Pleaded guilty in 1952 to illegally operating a still, unlawful possession of a still and operating without bond for helping his wife’s uncle make moonshine in Oklahoma at age 19
- Served three years of probation before being pardoned
- Crum is still married to the same woman, raised four kids, has attended the same church for 60 years and had the support of former US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and US Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma Brian Kuester, the White House said
Philip Esformes, sentence commuted on Dec. 22, 2020
- Former owner of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in Chicago and Miami
- Convicted in 2019 of 20 charges, including conspiracy to defraud the US and money laundering, for scamming more than $1.3 billion in payments from Medicare and Medicaid through an 18-year bribery and kickback scheme
- Served about 4 1/2 years of a 20-year sentence before it was commuted
- Esformes, 52, is in “declining health” and devoted himself to “prayer and repentance” in prison, according to the White House, which also said he had the support of former US Attorney General Edwin Meese and former US Attorney General Michael Mukasey
Steve Stockman, sentence commuted on Dec. 22, 2020
- Former Republican US representative from Texas
- Convicted in 2018 of 23 counts, including mail fraud and wire fraud, for using phony charities to solicit more than $1.2 million from donors, then spent the money in part on his political campaigns, including a failed, 2014 bid for US Senate
- Served more than two years of a 10-year sentence before it was commuted
- Stockman, who has “pre-existing health conditions,” contracted COVID-19 in prison and his release on “humanitarian and compassionate grounds” was called for by “many public figures,” including former House members Bob McEwen (R-Ohio) and and Bob Barr (R-Ga.), as well as conservative activist Brent Bozell and evangelical Christian talk-show host James Dobson, the White House said
Paul Manafort, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Veteran Republican political operative and former chairman of Trump’s 2016 campaign
- Convicted in 2018 of eight charges, including tax fraud and bank fraud, in a series of scams to fund a lavish lifestyle that notably included buying a $15,000, custom-made ostrich jacket
- Also pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice in connection with lobbying on behalf of Ukrainian government
- Served about two years of a combined 7 1/2-year sentence before being released to home confinement in May due to the coronavirus pandemic
- Manafort, whose prosecutions were a result of the Mueller probe, “has endured years of unfair treatment and is one of the most prominent victims of what has been revealed to be perhaps the greatest witch hunt in American history,” the White House said
Margaret Hunter, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Estranged wife of former US Rep. Duncan Hunter
- Pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy in the theft of her husband’s campaign funds, admitting that some of the money paid for airfare for the family’s pet rabbit, Eggburt
- Served about four months of a sentence of eight months of home confinement and three years of probation before being pardoned
- Former Federal Election Commissioner Bradley Smith said her prosecution “should have been treated as a civil case,” the White House said
Charles Kushner, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Real-estate developer and father of Jared Kushner, husband of Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump
- Pleaded guilty in 2004 to 16 counts of assisting in the filing of false tax returns, one count of making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and on court retaliating against a cooperating witness — his sister — by arranging the videotaped seduction of her husband by a prostitute
- Served a two-year prison sentence before being pardoned
- Kushner “has been devoted to important philanthropic organizations and causes” since his 2006 release, the White House said, adding that his pardon was supported by former Utah US Attorney Brett Tolman, Matt Schlapp of the American Conservative Union and former US government official David Safavian, who Trump pardoned earlier
William Plemons, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Convicted in 1995 of three counts of embezzlement and one count of structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements with several accomplices in Georgia
- Pleaded guilty in 2002 to wire fraud in $1.1 million worth of insurance scams with an accomplice in Georgia
- Served concurrent, 27-month sentences before being paroled
- Plemons’ pardon was supported by former Georgia state Sen. Richard Greene, now general counsel to the state Department of Community Health, and his business associates “attest to his generosity and service to children and the underprivileged,” the White House said
Topeka Kimberly Sam, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Pleaded guilty in 2012 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilos of cocaine as part of a drug-trafficking ring busted in Virginia
- Served a 4 1/3 year sentence and was freed early from five years of supervised release before being pardoned
- Following her release from prison, Sam founded the Ladies of Hope Ministries and “dedicated her life to helping other women in need,” according to the White House, which said she also “championed the historic First Step Act that President Trump signed in to law in 2018”
Peter Atkinson and John Boultbee, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Former Hollinger International executives and co-defendants of former CEO Conrad Black
- Each was convicted in 2007 of mail fraud
- Served sentences of time served — less than a year each — respectively, before being pardoned
- The White House said their pardons were supported by Black, as well as Black’s lawyer, David Nathanson, and lawyer Ron Safer, who represented a fourth defendant in the case who avoided prison
Andrew Worden, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Pleaded guilty in 1995 in Manhattan to wire fraud in a stock-trading scam
- Served two years of probation before being pardoned
- Worden “made mistakes in running an investment firm he founded” after graduating from college, but “voluntarily stopped his wrongful conduct and began to repay his victims before any criminal charges were filed” and has since “exhibited a decades-long commitment to philanthropy,” the White House said
Mary McCarty, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Former Republican member of the Palm Beach County, Fla., Board of Commissioners
- Pleaded guilty in 2009 to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud for a $300,000-plus corruption scheme in which she steered government business to her husband, Kevin, and got free or cut-rate, luxury stays in Key West and Delray Beach from a developer vying for a county contract to build a convention-center hotel and parking garage.
- Served a 42-month prison sentence before being pardoned
- Since her conviction, the US Supreme Court has re-interpreted the crime of honest services fraud, “meaning that Ms. McCarty’s conduct might not be criminally prosecuted today,” according to the White House, which said her supporters include former Republican Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chris Ruddy, CEO of conservative Newsmax Media and a friend of Trump’s
James Kassouf, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Cleveland real-estate developer and parking-lot owner
- Pleaded guilty in 1999 to making false tax returns amid a trial at which the judge refused to exclude evidence of his net worth
- Served one year of probation, with four months of home confinement, before being pardoned
- Following his conviction, Kassouf “has devoted extensive time and resources to supporting causes such as Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, and his local church and fire department” and is also “dedicated to revitalizing the city of Cleveland,” the White House said
Jesse Benton and John Tate, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Former campaign chairman and campaign manager, respectively, for then-US Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) during his 2012 presidential bid
- Convicted in 2016 of four counts, including causing false campaign contribution reports, for funneling $73,000 to an Iowa state senator who switched sides and endorsed Paul six days before the state’s first-in-the nation caucuses
- Each served six months of home confinement and two years of probation before being pardoned
- The pardons were supported by US Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Paul’s son, and Lee Goodman, a former Federal Election Commission chairman who said that “the reporting law [they] violated was unclear and not well established at the time,” according to the White House
Christopher Michael Wade, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Case was filed in the Southern District of New York in 2006 but all records are sealed
- The White House said Wade pleaded guilty to “various cyber-crimes,” served two years of probation and “has shown remorse and sought to make his community a safer place”
Joseph Stephens, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Pleaded guilty in 2008 in Texas to unlawful transport of firearms for possessing 13 rifles and shotguns, and seven handguns that he he was able to buy gun shows despite having a 1991 conviction for burglary
- Served a 18-month prison sentence and another three-month sentence for a probation violation before being pardoned
- Stephens was 19 when he turned down “deferred adjudication” in the burglary case and took “full responsibility” when busted on the gun charge, according to the White House, which also said business associates supported granting him clemency
Christopher II X, formerly Christopher Bryant, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Convicted of five drug-related crimes in Arkansas, Indiana and Kentucky during the late 1980s and early 1990s, including conspiracy to distribute cocaine
- Served prison terms ranging from 33 days to three years, four months before being pardoned
- II X overcame a “severe addiction to both cocaine and marijuana” and became a “prominent community leader” in Louisville, Ky., where he runs a non-profit called “Game Changers” and is a “trusted voice of reason” when tensions arise between cops and the community, the White House said
Cesar Lozada, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Pleaded guilty in 2005 to conspiracy to distribute marijuana for selling 101 small plants to a confidential informant and an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent
- Served a 14-month prison sentence before being pardoned
- A Cuban immigrant, Lozada founded a pool-equipment company that employs dozens of workers and volunteers on weekends at a charity mission, according to the White House, which said his pardon was supported by US Rep. Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.)
Rickey Kanter, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Founder and former CEO of the Wisconsin-based Dr. Comfort orthopedic shoe company
- Pleaded guilty in 2011 to mail fraud for scamming $27 million by selling therapeutic shoe inserts that were falsely claimed to comply with Medicare requirements for people with diabetes and severe foot diseases
- Served a one-year and one-day prison sentence before being pardoned
- “Although there was no evidence that Dr. Comfort’s customers were ever harmed by the company’s shoe inserts, the company and Mr. Kanter settled claims in civil court” before prosecutors decided to pursue a criminal case, and he’s been “a model member of his community” since being release from prison, the White House said
Stephanie Mohr, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Former Prince George’s County, Md., K-9 cop
- Convicted in 2001 of deprivation of rights under color of law for releasing her police dog without warning to bite the leg of a burglary suspect who had his hands in the air and needed 10 stitches to close the wound
- Served a 10-year prison sentence before being pardoned
- Mohr was Prince George’s first female K-9 officer and “a highly commended member of the police force prior to her prosecution,” according to the White House, which said her clemency was supported by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund and the Fraternal Order of Police
Robert Coughlin II, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Former deputy chief of staff of the US Justice Department’s Criminal Division
- Pleaded guilty in 2008 to a single count of conflict of interest under various federal laws for accepting more than $6,000 worth of free meals, drinks, tickets to concerts and sporting events and a round of golf from an associate of crooked lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and by having meetings to discuss working at Abramoff’s firm
- Served a sentence of time served and three years of probation, with 30 days in a halfway house, before being pardoned
- Coughlin, who recently got back his law license, “is remorseful and has volunteered in his community through organizations including Meals on Wheels and Toys for Tots” and also “wishes to put his mistakes behind him,” the White House said
Mark Siljander, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Former Republican US representative from Michigan
- Pleaded guilty to violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act and obstruction of justice for lobbying on behalf of the Islamic American Relief Agency after its global network was designated a terrorist organization for supporting Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, the Taliban and Hamas
- Served a one-year, one-day prison sentence before being pardoned
- His pardon was supported by former US Attorney General Edwin Meese, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, US Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) and Pastor Andrew Brunson, according to the White House, which said Siljander “has devoted himself to traveling in the Middle East and Africa to promote peace and mutual understanding”
James Batmasian, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Florida real-estate developer and property manager
- Pleaded guilty in 2008 to willful failing to collect or pay over tax for more than $250,000 in past due employee payroll taxes
- Served an eight-month prison sentence before being pardoned
- Batmasian “accepted full responsibility for his actions,” paid all the taxes he owed and has performed “extensive charitable works,” according the White House, which said his supporters included US Rep, Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Alice Johnson and golfer Bernhard Langer, a two-time Masters Tournament winner
Gary Brugman, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Former Border Patrol agent
- Convicted in 2002 of deprivation of rights under color of law for kicking and punching two illegal immigrants busted in Eagle Pass, Texas, near the Mexican border
- Served a 27-month sentence before being pardoned
- Brugman’s clemency was supported by “numerous elected officials,” including Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and US Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), as well as Fox News host Laura Ingraham and contributor Sara Carter, according to the White House
Joseph Occhipinti, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Former Immigration and Naturalization Service supervisory agent
- Convicted in 1991 of multiple counts of conspiracy to violate civil rights while acting under color of law and making false statements in reports for seizing large amount of cash and merchandise for himself while conducting illegal interrogations and searches of various businesses in New York City
- Served seven months of a 37-month sentence before then-President George H.W. Bush commuted his sentence in 1993
- Occhipinti “had a 22-year highly decorated career in which he earned 76 separate commendations” and his pardon was supported by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, National Association of Police Organizations and US Rep Christopher Smith (R-NJ), the White House said
Rebekah Charleston, formerly known as Rebekah Dean, Rebekah Bennett and Nicole (Nicola) Wilson, pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Former exotic dancer and escort
- Pleaded guilty in 2006 to conspiracy to commit tax evasion for scheming with an fellow adult-entertainment worker to deposit more than $680,000 in earnings into numerous bank accounts in Texas, using both their real names and aliases
- Served a 13-month prison sentence before being pardoned
- Charleston “is a victim of sex trafficking who has suffered a litany of abuses and endured a life of forced prostitution” before earning master’s degree in criminal justice and has since “worked tirelessly to give a voice to the voiceless victims of sex trafficking,” the White House said
Russell Plaisance, posthumously pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020
- Louisiana tugboat company founder who died on Nov. 27
- Pleaded guilty in 1987 to conspiracy to unlawfully import cocaine into the United States
- Served three years of probation and special parole before being pardoned
- Plaisance’s conviction involved “one conversation in which he participated” and which the sentencing judge called “totally inconsistent with [his] life history and [his] character,” the White House said
Daniela Gozes-Wagner, sentence commuted on Dec. 23, 2020
- Convicted in 2017 of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in a $50 million Medicare and Medicaid billing scam that involved 28 phony “testing facilities” in and around Houston
- Served about three years of a 20-year prison sentence before it was commuted
- Gozes-Wagner “worked as a mid-level manager” and was the only defendant to go to trial, then received a “significantly more severe” sentence than imposed on her co-defendants, according to the White House, which said commuting it by “numerous former law enforcement officials,” including ex-US attorneys general Michael Mukasey, Edwin Meese, Ramsey Clark and John Ashcroft
Mark Shapiro and Irving Stitsky, sentences commuted on Dec. 23, 2020
- Fraudsters who connected in prison and later used a front man to establish a group of purported real-estate investment companies named “Cobalt”
- Convicted in 2009 of conspiracy, two counts of securities fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud for running a telemarking operation in Great Neck, LI, that scammed more than $18 million from 150 investors
- Each served about 11 years of 85-year prison sentences before they were commuted
- Both men have served more time than they were offered to plead guilty before trial and “have become model prisoners, earning support and praise from their fellow inmates,” according to the White House, which said their supporters include former Attorney General Edwin Meese, former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson and former New Jersey federal Judge William Bassler
Fred Davis “Dave” Clark Jr., sentence commuted Jan. 13, 2021
- Former CEO of Cay Clubs Resorts and Marinas of Key West, Fla,
- Convicted in 2015 of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of making a false statement to a financial institution and obstruction of the Securities and Exchange Commission for masterminding a $300 million vacation-rental Ponzi scheme
- Served about 6 1/2 years of a 40-year prison sentence before it was commuted