In his last full day in office, President Donald Trump granted pardons to 74 people and commuted the sentences of 70 others, including his former campaign manager Steve Bannon, former New York Observer editor Ken Kurson, and the rapper Lil Wayne—but left disgraced former State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver off the list.
On Monday, the New York Times reported that Trump was considering pardoning Silver, one of Albany's "three men in a room" who wielded immense power over New York State for decades. The Lower East Side native was convicted on corruption charges two separate times, first in 2015 for extortion, money laundering, and taking $4 million in bribes by steering clients to his preferred law firm. That conviction was overturned on a technicality in 2017. Silver was convicted again in 2018 on fraud and extortion charges.
After exhausting his appeals, Silver was sentenced this past July to 6.5 years in prison, two years of supervised released, and he was ordered to pay a $1 million fine. The 76-year-old Silver began serving his sentence this past September.
The Times suggested that Silver made Trump's clemency shortlist because his former chief of staff had worked for Jared Kushner's company at one time. Silver was also prosecuted by former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who was fired by Trump in 2017 after he refused to resign.
The NY Post published an editorial on Tuesday denouncing a possible pardon for Silver. The New York State Republican Party, which has stridently supported Trump, also voiced their opposition to a pardon:
Bannon was pardoned even though he has only been charged—and not yet convicted—with fraud for his allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands from a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a southern border wall. In addition to being an architect of Trump's 2016 victory, Bannon was a senior White House adviser for about a year and a half until he criticized others in the administration.
"President Trump granted a full pardon to Stephen Bannon," the White House said. "Prosecutors pursued Mr. Bannon with charges related to fraud stemming from his involvement in a political project. Mr. Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen."
Kurson, who was the editor-in-chief of The New York Observer from 2013 until 2017 under publisher and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, was pardoned for charges related to stalking and harassing three women, including his wife during their divorce. Kurson also worked for Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani on Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign.
The White House statement said, "In a powerful letter to the prosecutors, Mr. Kurson’s ex-wife wrote on his behalf that she never wanted this investigation or arrest and, 'repeatedly asked for the FBI to drop it… I hired a lawyer to protect me from being forced into yet another round of questioning. My disgust with this arrest and the subsequent articles is bottomless…' This investigation only began because Mr. Kurson was nominated to a role within the Trump Administration. He has been a community leader in New York and New Jersey for decades. In addition, Mr. Kurson is a certified foster parent, a successful business owner, and is passionate about various charitable causes. Mr. Kurson is an upstanding citizen and father to five beautiful children."
Lil Wayne was pardoned for his 2009 gun conviction; the rapper faced criticism after he met with Trump before the election about criminal reform, saying he "had a great meeting... [Trump] listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done."
"Mr. Carter has exhibited this generosity through commitment to a variety of charities, including donations to research hospitals and a host of foodbanks," the White House said. "Deion Sanders, who also wrote in support of this pardon, calls Mr. Wayne 'a provider for his family, a friend to many, a man of faith, a natural giver to the less fortunate, a waymaker, [and] a game changer.'"
A full pardon was granted to Douglas Jemal, a Brooklyn-born real estate developer who is better known to the tri-state area as the co-founder of Nobody Beats The Wiz electronics stores. Jemal was convicted of wire fraud in 2008, and paid a $175,000 fine and served five years probation. The White called him an "American businessman and philanthropist credited with rebuilding many urban inner cities in the United States" who has also been "instrumental to various other charitable causes, including the rebuilding of churches prior to his conviction."
And, in the final hour of his presidency, Trump also pardoned Al Pirro, the ex-husband of Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro. Al Pirro had been convicted of tax fraud in 2000. The couple separated in 2007, a year after Jeanine Pirro discussed bugging his boat to see if he was having an affair.
Others granted pardons or commutations include the rapper Kodak Black who served almost four years for making a false statement while buying a firearm; fundraiser Elliott Broidy who pleaded guilty to trying to influence the White House on behalf of the Chinese and Malaysian governments; and former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski who pleaded guilty to bring trade secrets to Uber.
Last month, Trump pardoned a group of other people who were politically or personally connected to him. Those pardons included former New York Congressman Chris Collins, who had just begun serving a 26-month federal prison sentence for insider trading; four Blackwater guards who were convicted of war crimes in connection of a massacre of Iraqi civilians in 2007; his former campaign manager Paul Manafort; his son-in-law's father, Charles Kushner; and Roger Stone, a longtime self-professed "ratfucker" who was convicted of lying to Congress and obstructing the Mueller investigation.
This story has been updated to reflect that President Trump pardoned an additional person.
