Trump pardons 15 including 2 ensnared in Russia probe
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesdaypardoned15people, including Republican allies, a 2016 campaign official ensnaredintheRussiaprobe and former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad.
Trump also commuted the sentences of five people.
While it is not unusual for presidents to grant clemency on their way out the door, Trump has made clear that he has no qualms about intervening in the cases of friends and allies whom he believes have been treated unfairly. Despitespeculation, though, not on the list were members of Trump’s own family, his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and the president himself.
The pardons included former Republican Reps.
Duncan Hunter of CaliforniaandChrisCollinsofNew York. Trump commuted the sentence of former Rep.
Steve Stockman of Texas.
Collins, the first member of Congress to endorse Trump to be president, was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison after admitting he helped his son and others dodge $800,000 in stock market losses when he learned that a drug trial by a small pharmaceutical company had failed.
Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing campaign funds and spendingthemoneyoneverything from outings with friends to hisdaughter’sbirthdayparty.
Trump also announced pardons for allies ensnared in the Russia investigation.
OnewasforGeorgePapadopoulos, his 2016 campaign adviser whose conversation unwittingly helped trigger the Russia investigation that shadowed Trump’s presidency for nearly two years.
He also pardoned Alex van der Zwaan, a Dutch lawyer who was sentenced to 30 George Papadopoulos, the ex-Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia probe, was one of 15 people pardoned TuesdaybyPresidentTrump.CAROLYN KASTER/AP2018 days in prison for lying to investigators during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
Van der Zwaan and Papadopoulos are the third and fourth Russia investigation defendants granted clemency.
By pardoning them, Trump once again took aim at Mueller’s probe and pushed a broader effort to undotheresultsoftheinvestigationthatyieldedcriminal chargesagainstahalf-dozen associates.
Last month, Trump pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, and months earlier commuted the sentence of another associate, Roger Stone, days before he was to report to prison.
In the group announced Tuesday night were four formergovernmentcontractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that left more a dozen Iraqi civilians dead and caused an internationaluproaroverthe useofprivatesecurityguards in a war zone.
Supporters of Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard, the former contractors at Blackwater Worldwide, had lobbied for pardons, arguing thatthemenhadbeenexcessivelypunishedinaninvestigation and prosecution they saidwastaintedbyproblems and withheld exculpatory evidence. Allfourwereservinglengthyprisonsentences.
The pardons reflected Trump’s apparent willingness to give the benefit of doubt to American servicemembers and contractors when it comes to acts of violence in warzones against civilians. Last November, for instance, he pardonedaformerU.S.Army commando who was set to stand trial next year in the killingofasuspectedAfghan bomb-maker and a former Armylieutenantconvictedof murderfororderinghismen to fire upon three Afghans.
“Paul Slough and his colleagues didn’t deserve to spendoneminuteinprison,” saidBrianHeberlig, alawyer for one of the four pardoned Blackwater defendants.
Trump also commuted the sentences of five people.
While it is not unusual for presidents to grant clemency on their way out the door, Trump has made clear that he has no qualms about intervening in the cases of friends and allies whom he believes have been treated unfairly. Despitespeculation, though, not on the list were members of Trump’s own family, his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and the president himself.
The pardons included former Republican Reps.
Duncan Hunter of CaliforniaandChrisCollinsofNew York. Trump commuted the sentence of former Rep.
Steve Stockman of Texas.
Collins, the first member of Congress to endorse Trump to be president, was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison after admitting he helped his son and others dodge $800,000 in stock market losses when he learned that a drug trial by a small pharmaceutical company had failed.
Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing campaign funds and spendingthemoneyoneverything from outings with friends to hisdaughter’sbirthdayparty.
Trump also announced pardons for allies ensnared in the Russia investigation.
OnewasforGeorgePapadopoulos, his 2016 campaign adviser whose conversation unwittingly helped trigger the Russia investigation that shadowed Trump’s presidency for nearly two years.
He also pardoned Alex van der Zwaan, a Dutch lawyer who was sentenced to 30 George Papadopoulos, the ex-Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia probe, was one of 15 people pardoned TuesdaybyPresidentTrump.CAROLYN KASTER/AP2018 days in prison for lying to investigators during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
Van der Zwaan and Papadopoulos are the third and fourth Russia investigation defendants granted clemency.
By pardoning them, Trump once again took aim at Mueller’s probe and pushed a broader effort to undotheresultsoftheinvestigationthatyieldedcriminal chargesagainstahalf-dozen associates.
Last month, Trump pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, and months earlier commuted the sentence of another associate, Roger Stone, days before he was to report to prison.
In the group announced Tuesday night were four formergovernmentcontractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that left more a dozen Iraqi civilians dead and caused an internationaluproaroverthe useofprivatesecurityguards in a war zone.
Supporters of Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard, the former contractors at Blackwater Worldwide, had lobbied for pardons, arguing thatthemenhadbeenexcessivelypunishedinaninvestigation and prosecution they saidwastaintedbyproblems and withheld exculpatory evidence. Allfourwereservinglengthyprisonsentences.
The pardons reflected Trump’s apparent willingness to give the benefit of doubt to American servicemembers and contractors when it comes to acts of violence in warzones against civilians. Last November, for instance, he pardonedaformerU.S.Army commando who was set to stand trial next year in the killingofasuspectedAfghan bomb-maker and a former Armylieutenantconvictedof murderfororderinghismen to fire upon three Afghans.
“Paul Slough and his colleagues didn’t deserve to spendoneminuteinprison,” saidBrianHeberlig, alawyer for one of the four pardoned Blackwater defendants.
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