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US President Donald Trump granted clemency to former White House aide Steve Bannon as part of a wave of pardons and commutations issued in his final hours in office, but did not forgive himself, members his family or lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
grump is leaving office later today when Joe Biden is sworn in as the nation’s next president.
White House officials had argued to Trump that he should not forgive himself or his family because it could appear that they are guilty of crimes, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Bannon, who was a key adviser to Trump’s 2016 presidential race, was accused last year of defrauding the president’s own supporters in an effort to raise private funds to build the president’s wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. . He has pleaded not guilty.
“Bannon has been an important leader in the Conservative movement and is known for his political acumen,” the White House said in a statement.
White House officials had advised Trump not to spare Bannon. The two men have recently rekindled their relationship when Trump sought support for his unproven claims of voter fraud, an official familiar with the situation said.
As part of more than 140 pardons and commutations, Trump also pardoned Elliott Broidy, a former Trump top fundraiser who pleaded guilty last year to violating foreign lobbying laws, and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who he was serving a 28-year prison sentence last year. corruption charges.
Rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, who were indicted for federal gun crimes, also received pardons.
Giuliani, who has been at the forefront of Trump’s unsuccessful efforts to reverse the 2020 presidential election, has not been charged with any crime, but investigators have been looking into his activities in Ukraine.
Trump was indicted last week by the Democratic-led House of inciting the president’s supporters to the assault on the United States Capitol on January 6. He could face a trial in the Senate and could be barred from running for president again if convicted.
The power of forgiveness, which comes from the Constitution of the United States, is one of the most extensive available to a president. While pardons are generally granted to individuals who have been prosecuted, pardons can cover conduct that has not yet led to legal proceedings.
A pardon is not reviewable by other branches of government and the president does not have to give a reason for issuing it. But the power of forgiveness is not absolute; only applies to federal crimes.
Bannon, 67, is the latest prominent political ally to receive Trump’s clemency.
Trump previously pardoned former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI about his conversation with the former Russian ambassador, and commuted the prison sentence for Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress during his investigation into Russian interference in the presidential elections. 2016. election.
Bannon, the former CEO and co-founder of the right-wing news outlet Breitbart, is recognized as the architect behind the rise of right-wing populism “America First.” He was a key influencing factor behind some of Trump’s strong anti-immigration policies in the early days of the Trump presidency, as well as the border wall that was one of the key promises of the Trump campaign.
He was fired from his post at the White House in August 2017.
Bannon may still be charged with fraud by New York state prosecutors, said Daniel R. Alonso, a former prosecutor who now works at the Buckley law firm. Fraud prosecutions are often brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Alonso added.
Broidy, who was one of Trump’s top fundraisers during the 2016 campaign, pleaded guilty in October to violating lobbying laws by trying to influence the administration on behalf of Chinese and Malaysian interests.
Lil Wayne, 38, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., pleaded guilty in federal court in December to illegally possessing a firearm and faces up to 10 years in prison. He has voiced support for Trump’s criminal justice reform efforts.
Kodak Black, 23, who was born Bill Kahan Kapri, is in federal prison for making a false statement to purchase a firearm.
Online editors
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