U.S. President Donald Trump issued full pardons to five individuals and commuted the sentences of two others convicted of a variety of federal crimes on Monday.
What We Know:
- Those who were commuted will now be released early from federal prison while those who received full pardons have already completed their prison sentences and will now have fully restored rights. The individuals had been convicted of federal crimes including improper use of federal government property, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, fraud and theft.
- The two men with commuted sentences are Ted Suhl and Ronen Nahmani. Suhi is an Arkansas man who was convicted of bribery and fraud charges and Nahmani is a Floridian who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for distributing synthetic marijuana. They have both received support from other top political figures advocating for their release.
- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee “strongly supported” Suhl’s request for clemency, the White House said in a press release, while Nahmani’s case was championed by a slew of Congress members (Republican and Democrat). The White House also noted that Nahmani, who was convicted in 2015, “is a non-violent, first-time offender with no criminal history” with five children whose wife is “suffering from terminal cancer.”
- The five pardons were related to crimes committed in the 1980s and 1990s. Trump’s pardon suggested these sentences were the result of the traditional Justice Department pardon process, rather than high-profile lobbying efforts or connections to Trump’s political allies that have guaranteed Trump’s previous grants of clemency.
- Trump had previously pardoned or commuted the sentences of 14 people.
Happy for the people who get a fresh start!
