President Donald Trump issued a wave of pardons and commutations for more than two dozen people, many of whom were vocal supporters.
Among those pardoned were a former Army lieutenant convicted of defying COVID-19 orders; reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who defrauded banks of $30 million; and rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, released just months after pleading guilty to weapons charges.
He also commuted the federal sentence of Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover — though Illinois continues to hold him on state murder charges — and granted early release to venture capitalist Imaad Zuberi, who donated more than $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund.
By sidelining the usual Justice Department reviews, these clemencies appear to reward political loyalty over standard criteria such as remorse or rehabilitation. And with pardon advocate Alice Johnson helping select recipients, critics are asking: Has clemency become a tool for loyalty?
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
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