Tag: pardon

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Trump Commutes Prison Sentence Of Disgraced Former Rep. George Santos

Former congressman George Santos

Donald Trump announced today he has commuted the sentence of serial liar and former Representative George Santos, the disgraced Republican fabulist from New York who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for financial fraud. Continue reading “Trump Commutes Prison Sentence Of Disgraced Former Rep. George Santos”

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Trump Pardons Reality Couple Convicted Of Massive Fraud

Todd and Julie Chrisley (screen capture)

Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to reality show stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted in June 2022 on multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, tax evasion, and wire fraud. The couple, reality-famous for their TV show “Chrisley Knows Best,” were convicted in 2022 for bilking banks out of tens of millions of dollars through fraudulent bank loans and then using their production company to hide the income from the IRS. Continue reading “Trump Pardons Reality Couple Convicted Of Massive Fraud”

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Positive Effects Of Adult LGBTQ Role Models For Queer Youth + More News

Role model - mentor (photo via Depositphotos)

Some news stories you might have missed: • The Advocate: A new survey found two-thirds of LGBTQ young people (67 percent) report having at least one older LGBTQ adult role model in their day-to-day lives, which researchers found is associated with higher levels of self-reported life purpose. Continue reading “Positive Effects Of Adult LGBTQ Role Models For Queer Youth + More News”

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NY Times: Rudy Giuliani Discussed Pre-Emptive Pardon With Trump

Rudy Giuliani at Trump press conference (screen capture)
If anyone was wondering why Rudy Giuliani has argued so voraciously on Donald Trump’s behalf regarding the results of the 2020 presidential election, perhaps this is why. The New York Times reports Giuliani has broached the idea of a “pre-emptive pardon” with Trump before the Donald leaves office. From the Times:

It was not clear who raised the topic. The men had also talked previously about a pardon for Mr. Giuliani, according to the people. Mr. Trump has not indicated what he will do, one of the people said.

Mr. Giuliani’s potential criminal exposure is unclear. He was under investigation as recently as this summer by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for his business dealings in Ukraine and his role in ousting the American ambassador there, a plot that was at the heart of the impeachment of Mr. Trump.

Giuliani clapped back at the idea that he’s asked for a pardon on Twitter after the Times posted its report.

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Rohrabacher Confirms He Spoke To Assange About Pardon

Former GOP congressman Dana Rohrabacher
In a new interview with Yahoo News, former California Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher confirmed that he did speak to Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2017 about turning over information that could prove the widely-debunked conspiracy theory that Russians did not hack the Democratic National Committee emails. In exchange, Rohrabacher promised to approach Donald Trump about a pardon for Assange.

In a phone interview with Yahoo News, Rohrabacher said his goal during the meeting was to find proof for a widely debunked conspiracy theory: that WikiLeaks’ real source for the DNC emails was not Russian intelligence agents, as U.S. officials have since concluded, but former DNC staffer Seth Rich, who was murdered on the streets of Washington in July 2016 in what police believe was a botched robbery.

A lawyer for Assange in London on Wednesday cited the pardon offer from Rohrabacher during a court hearing on the U.S. government’s request to extradite the WikiLeaks founder.

Rohrabacher said that not only did talk of a Trump pardon take place during his meeting, but he also followed up by calling then-White House chief of staff John Kelly to discuss the proposal. He did not, however, ever speak to Trump about it, he said.

Rohrabacher, who lost reelection to his House seat in 2018, has been a longtime defender of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Law enforcement officials had long said they’ve found no evidence that Rich’s death was related to his work at the DNC or that he played any role in the leaking of party emails.

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Following Trump Meltdown DOJ Will Reduce Roger Stone Prison Sentence Recommendation

Roger Stone (screen capture)
A senior Justice Department official tells the Washington Post the DOJ now plans to reduce its sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone, who was convicted in November of obstructing Congress and witness tampering in the Robert Mueller investigation. The announcement comes after Donald Trump ranted on Twitter about the requested seven-to-nine year recommendation.

In a stunning rebuke of career prosecutors that will surely raise questions about political interference in the case, a senior Justice Department official said the department “was shocked to see the sentencing recommendation in the Roger Stone case last night.”

“That recommendation is not what had been briefed to the department,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive case. “The department finds the recommendation extreme and excessive and disproportionate to Stone’s offenses. The department will clarify its position later today.”

The statement came hours after Trump tweeted about the sentence prosecutors recommended, saying: “This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!” The senior Justice Department official, though, said the decision to revise prosecutors’ recommendation came before Trump’s tweet.

Let’s face it, folks. Trump is going to pardon Stone AND Michael Flynn. No matter what, no matter what prison sentence they get, he will pardon them. Mark my words.

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News Round-Up: August 8, 2019

Some guy…

Some news items you might have missed:

• #TBT: The above photo was from one of my last headshot sessions while I was still an actor. I hated having to take headshots. I remember early on in New York City, I was sitting for one photographer. He told me, “Turn away, then look at me and think ‘SEXY.’ I turned away and then shifted back to the camera…but there was no click as the photographer said, “Umm, no…” And there you have it LOL.

• Splinter: Friends say the Dayton shooter’s slain sibling was transgender.

• The Hill: House Republicans in the Illinois delegation are calling for President Trump to not commute the prison sentence of former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is serving 14 years on federal corruption charges.

• Advocate: Donald Trump attacked another gay journalist. This time out Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, one of the few Fox personalities willing to criticize him, as worse than “Fake News CNN.” Trump has previously denounced CNN’s Don Lemon calling him “dumb.”

• Axios: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote a letter to President Trump on Thursday asking him to use his Article II powers to call the Senate back into session in order to consider gun control legislation passed in the House.

• Web Series: Funnymen Matthew Wilkas & Dan Gordh are back with Season two of their absurdist sketch series, Matt & Dan. The comedy duo promises more guest stars, bigger wigs, and more twisted, uncomfortable situations.

Premiering August 15, the eight episodes in Season 2 will include a zombie apocalypse, surviving a plane crash in the Himalayas, and stripping at a bachelorette party.

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Donald Trump Declares He Has “Absolute Right” To Pardon Himself

Donald Trump

Earlier today, Donald Trump declared via Twitter that he has “the absolute right to PARDON” himself.

The Trumpster goes on to wonder, “But why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?”

It’s hard to get beyond the idea that Trump is evening TALKING about his ability to pardon himself…

If you’re innocent, why would you even bring up pardoning yourself???

Just, odd.

Under this thinking, why didn’t Bill Clinton “absolutely pardon” himself?

Or, why didn’t Richard Nixon just pardon himself and remain president?

Thankfully, I’m not the only one who thinks this was weird:

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Trump Pardons Conservative Filmmaker, Ponders Possible Pardon For Martha Stewart

Donald Trump announced today he has pardoned a conservative pundit (and ally) and is now considering a pardon for lifestyle expert Martha Stewart.

Additionally, Trump is reported to be looking at commuting a former Illinois governor’s prison sentence.

Via Reuters:

Trump announced his decision to pardon pundit and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to U.S. campaign finance law violations and was an outspoken critic of Democratic former President Barack Obama, on Twitter, saying he had been “treated very unfairly by our government!”

The Republican president then told reporters on a flight to Houston he was also considering a pardon for Stewart, who was convicted in 2004 on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements in an insider-trading probe.

James Comey, who Trump fired as FBI director last year and has repeatedly attacked, was the lead federal prosecutor in Stewart’s case and played a role in the prosecution of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney. Trump pardoned Libby in April.

Trump also said he might commute the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat convicted of corruption charges, and was considering pardoning a woman convicted of a drug-related charge after reality TV star Kim Kardashian discussed the case with him on Wednesday.

D’Souza was found guilty of breaking campaign finance laws in 2012 by using straw donors to raise $20,000 — far more than the legal limit — for his friend Wendy Long, who was running for U.S. senator.

He paid a $30,000 fine, spent eight months partially confined and served nearly five years probation before Trump announced the pardon via tweet.

D’Souza says he was targeted by the FBI for prosecution because of his documentary, 2016: Obama’s America, which took a negative view of President Barack Obama.

He was not “treated very unfairly” in that he actually broke the law he plead guilty to. Trump likes D’Souza because he criticized Obama.

D’Souza took to Twitter to mock former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (“He got fired & I got pardoned”) whose office prosecuted D’Souza’s case and was fired by President Trump last year.