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Trump pardons favor the celeb-connected, conservative causes

Continued from Front leak of the covert identity was political motivation to
of a CIA officer. The Libby the prosecutions.
The president also said he case was taken up by con- In its latter years, the
was considering a pardon servatives who argued he Obama administration
for Stewart, the celebrity was the victim of an overly searched for candidates
lifestyle guru who served a zealous and politically mo- like nonviolent drug offend-
stint in federal prison after tivated prosecution by a ers and those affected by
being convicted of charg- special counsel. mandatory minimum sen-
es related to a stock sale. That pardon, especially, tencing policies, viewing
Both had connections to was seen as a sign that clemency as a tool to pro-
Trump’s “Celebrity Appren- Trump might be willing mote policy goals. There is
tice” reality television show: to pardon former aides no such systematic review
Blagojevich was a contes- caught up in the Mueller by the Trump White House.
tant in 2010 and Stewart inquiry. But White House press sec-
hosted the 2005 spinoff se- Trump has also been retary Sarah Huckabee
ries, “The Apprentice: Mar- moved by cases champi- Sanders said it was unfair
tha Stewart.” oned by celebrities. Last to suggest the only people
Hours earlier, Trump said on week, he pardoned Jack winning pardons under
Twitter he would pardon Johnson, boxing’s first Trump are those connect-
D’Souza. An outspoken black heavyweight cham- ed to him or with a celeb-
critic of Obama, D’Souza pion, whose case had rity backer.
claimed his prosecution by been brought to his atten- “Certainly, something has
the Obama Justice Depart- tion by actor Sylvester Stal- to be brought to his at-
ment was politically moti- lone. And on Wednesday, tention and if somebody
vated. he met with reality TV star has the ability to do that it
Trump has issued five par- Kim Kardashian, who urged would help, but the presi-
dons as president: The first him to pardon Alice Marie dent is making decisions
went to former Arizona Johnson, a woman serving based on the merits of the
sheriff Joe Arpaio, a top a life sentence for drug of- individual cases and what
Trump supporter during fenses. Trump’s predeces- he thinks is the right thing
the 2016 campaign, who sors largely relied on a for- to do,” she said. “There’s a
was spared the prospect mal, Department of Justice process, but ultimately the
of serving jail time after a process to identify those president has the power
conviction stemming from deserving of clemency. and the authority to make ABOVE: In this March 14, 2012 file photo, former Illinois Gov. Rod
his use of racially targeted None of the clemencies a decision and he does.” Blagojevich, with his wife Patti at his side, speaks to the media in
immigration patrols. Next that Trump has granted Since the beginning of his Chicago before reporting to federal prison in Denver. BELOW: In
this May 20, 2014 file photo, conservative scholar and filmmaker
came Navy sailor Kristian have come through the presidency through May Dinesh D’Souza, left, accompanied by his lawyer Benjamin
Saucier, who had taken front door of the Justice 7, Trump received 570 re- Brafman leaves federal court, in New York.
photos of classified portions Department’s Office of the quests for pardons and Associated Press
of a submarine. Trump of- Pardon Attorney, which typ- about 2,306 requests for ment during the Obama the possibility that he may
ten mentioned Saucier’s ically assists the president in commutation of sentenc- administration to help iden- also be sending a message
case on the campaign trail exercising his pardon pow- es. But because there were tify candidates for clem- to witnesses in a criminal
as he criticized his former er. Instead they’ve been pending requests at the ency, said that many are investigation into his cam-
Democratic rival, Hillary brought to the president by end of the Obama admin- torn over Trump’s decision- paign is extremely danger-
Clinton, for her use of a pri- White House lawyers, advis- istration, the total number making process, which ap- ous,” tweeted Sen. Mark
vate email server. Saucier ers and outside confidants of requests for pardons pears to be more haphaz- Warner, D-Va.
had claimed his prosecu- and celebrities, according pending before Trump is ard than in the past. Trump told reporters Thurs-
tion was driven by sensitiv- to a senior White House of- 2,271 and 8,932 for com- “Nobody wants to criticize day that no one asked him
ity about classified infor- ficial, who said there are mutation. displays of mercy because to pardon D’Souza, whose
mation driven by Clinton’s dozens of pardons current- Trump has denied dozens we think they’re so sorely case had become a cause
case. ly under consideration by of pardon and commuta- lacking, but most of these in conservative circles.
Next came former White White House attorneys and tion requests, while thou- wouldn’t be on anyone’s D’Souza was sentenced
House aide I. Lewis “Scoot- the president. sands of petitions have ‘Top 10’ list of people who to five years’ probation in
er” Libby. A former top The official said Trump has been closed without presi- have been mistreated by 2014 after pleading guilty
aide to Vice President Dick prioritized actions that dential action. the system,” Ring said. to violating federal election
Cheney, Libby was con- have personally affected Kevin Ring, president of Others were more critical. law by making illegal con-
victed of lying to investi- him — noting he’s been Families Against Mandato- “The President’s ad hoc tributions to a U.S. Senate
gators and obstruction of particularly drawn to cases ry Minimums, which worked use of the pardon power campaign in the names of
justice following the 2003 where he believes there with the Justice Depart- is concerning enough. But others.q