From reality TV stars to a drug kingpin, Trump goes on pardoning spree rewarding loyalists
WASHINGTON: Reality TV stars. Former lawmakers. A sheriff. A nursing home executive. A drug kingpin. What do they have in common?
They are among the Americans convicted of crimes who have received pardons from US President Donald Trump since he took office in January.
And while US presidents have doled out questionable pardons in the past, Trump is doing so "in a bigger, more aggressive way with sort of no sense of shame," said Kermit Roosevelt, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
"The pardon power has always been a little bit problematic because it's this completely unconstrained power that the president has," Roosevelt told AFP.
"Most presidents have issued at least some pardons where people look at them and they say: 'This seems to be self-serving' or 'This seems to be corrupt in some way.'"
But Trump is doling out pardons "that look like they're almost quid pro quo for financial donations," Roosevelt said.
Among those receiving a pardon was Paul Walczak, a nursing home executive convicted of tax crimes and whose mother attended a $1-million-per-plate fund-raising dinner at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in April.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
37 minutes ago
- First Post
New storm brewing in Asia? Thailand closes border to tourists amid clashes with Cambodia
Thailand on Saturday closes two of its key borders to tourists after clashes with Cambodia. Here's what both sides are saying about the situation. read more At least 28 people have been killed since 2008 during military skirmishes along the border. AFP On Saturday, Thailand shut down two of its border crossings for tourists as a safety measure amid brewing tensions with its neighbouring nation, Cambodia. The Thai authorities announced the move following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief military clash on May 28 in an area known as the Emerald Triangle. What makes the region significant is that here is where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos meet. It is important to note that Thailand and Cambodia share an 817 kilometre (508 mile) border, first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony. For decades, the two Asian neighbours have disputed various undemarcated points along the frontier. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The full-scale fighting between the two nations first broke out in 2008. Interestingly, the fight was over an 11th-century Hindu temple, and the clashes ultimately led to sporadic violence over several years. In 2013, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the disputed area belonged to Cambodia. However, Thailand says it does not accept the ICJ's jurisdiction and seeks a bilateral settlement. What is Thailand's take on the matter? In a statement on Saturday, authorities in the eastern province of Chanthaburi said that they had 'temporarily suspended' crossings by Thai and Cambodian tourists at two permanent border checkpoints. Soon after this, the Royal Thai Army cited a threat to Thailand's 'sovereignty and security' as the reason behind the move. The army made it clear that trade would be unaffected, and Cambodian workers could still be allowed to enter Thailand. Apart from this, six other border checkpoints tightened their opening hours and issued bans on six-wheeled vehicles. In a separate statement, Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the army had reinforced its military presence at the border in light of increasing deployment on the other side of the border. 'There has been a reinforcement of military presence [by Cambodia], which has exacerbated tensions along the border,' Phumtham, who is also deputy prime minister, said in a statement. 'Consequently, the Royal Thai Government has deemed it necessary to implement additional measures and to reinforce our military posture accordingly,' he added. On Friday, Thailand's army made it clear that it is ready to launch a 'high-level operation' to counter any violation of Thailand's sovereignty. The Thai Foreign Ministry later said on Saturday that the country was committed to holding bilateral talks with Cambodia on June 14 to resolve the dispute. What has Cambodia said? Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in an address on Saturday that his country's stance was 'not to initiate conflict, but to defend ourselves.' Earlier this week, Hun said that the kingdom would file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the border dispute. As of now, the two neighbours had agreed to ease tensions following last month's killing, but Cambodia eventually said that it would keep its troops in the area, in defiance of a request by Bangkok. In light of this, the Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN and China have both made efforts to reduce tensions in recent days. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
37 minutes ago
- First Post
Trump's ban on travellers from 12 countries begins early Monday
The current travel restriction affects Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen read more US President Donald Trump's order barring people of 12 countries from entering the United States takes effect at 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT) on Monday, a measure the president announced to protect the country from 'foreign terrorists.' The current travel restriction affects Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. People from seven additional countries, including Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, will face certain restrictions on admission. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump, a Republican, said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbour a 'large-scale presence of terrorists,' fail to cooperate on visa security, have an inability to verify travellers' identities, as well as inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States. He cited last Sunday's incident in Boulder, Colorado, in which an Egyptian national tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new curbs are needed. But Egypt is not part of the travel ban. The travel ban forms part of Trump's policy to restrict immigration into the United States and is reminiscent of a similar move in his first term when he barred travellers from seven Muslim-majority nations. Officials and residents in countries whose citizens will soon be banned expressed dismay and disbelief. Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said he had instructed his government to stop granting visas to US citizens in response to Trump's action. 'Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and its pride,' he said in a Facebook post, referring to countries such as Qatar, which gifted the US a luxury airplane for Trump's use and promised to invest billions of dollars in the US. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Afghans who worked for the US or US-funded projects and were hoping to resettle in the US expressed fear that the travel ban would force them to return to their country, where they could face reprisal from the Taliban. Democratic US lawmakers also voiced concern about the policies. 'Trump's travel ban on citizens from over 12 countries is draconian and unconstitutional,' said US Representative Ro Khanna on social media late on Thursday. 'People have a right to seek asylum.'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Travel ban may shut door for Afghan family to bring niece to US for better life
Travel ban may shut door for Afghan family to bring niece to US for better life (AP) IRMO: Mohammad Sharafoddin, his wife and young son walked at times for 36 hours in a row over mountain passes as they left Afghanistan as refugees to end up less than a decade later talking about their journey on a plush love seat in the family's three-bedroom suburban American home. He and his wife dreamed of bringing her niece to the United States to share in that bounty. Maybe she could study to become a doctor and then decide her own path. But that door slams shut on Monday as America put in place a travel ban for people from Afghanistan and a dozen other countries. "It's kind of shock for us when we hear about Afghanistan, especially right now for ladies who are affected more than others with the new government," Mohammad Sharafoddin said, referring to the country's Taliban rulers. "We didn't think about this travel ban." Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 as the Western forces were in the final phase of their withdrawal from the country, they have barred education for women and girls beyond sixth grade, most employment and many public spaces. Last August, the Taliban introduced laws that ban women's voices and bare faces outside the home. President Donald Trump signed the travel ban Wednesday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Что говорит о вашем характере поза, в которой вы спите! Удивительные Новости Undo It is similar to one in place during his first administration but covers more countries. Along with Afghanistan, travel to the US is banned from Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Trump said visitors who overstay visas, like the man charged in an attack that injured dozens of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, earlier this month, are a danger to the country. The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, which isn't included in the ban. The countries chosen for the ban have deficient screening of their citizens, often refuse to take them back and have a high percentage of people who stay in the U.S. after their visas expire, Trump said. The ban makes exceptions for people from Afghanistan on Special Immigrant Visas who generally worked most closely with the US government during the two-decade war there. Thousands of refugees came from Afghanistan Afghanistan was also one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Trump suspended refugee resettlement on his first day in office. It is a path Sharafoddin took with his wife and son out of Afghanistan walking on those mountain roads in the dark then through Pakistan, Iran and into Turkey. He worked in a factory for years in Turkey, listening to YouTube videos on headphones to learn English before he was resettled in Irmo, South Carolina, a suburb of Columbia. His son is now 11, and he and his wife had a daughter in the US who is now 3. There is a job at a jewelery maker that allows him to afford a two-story, three-bedroom house. Food was laid out on two tables Saturday for a celebration of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. Sharafoddin's wife, Nuriya, said she is learning English and driving - two things she couldn't do in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. "I'm very happy to be here now, because my son is very good at school and my daughter also. I think after 18 years they are going to work, and my daughter is going to be able to go to college," she said. The family wants to help a niece It is a life she wanted for her niece too. The couple show videos from their cellphones of her drawing and painting. When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, their niece could no longer study. So they started to plan to get her to the U.S. at least to further her education. Nuriya Sharafoddin doesn't know if her niece has heard the news from America yet. She hasn't had the heart to call and tell her. "I'm not ready to call her. This is not good news. This is very sad news because she is worried and wants to come," Nuriya Sharafoddin said. While the couple spoke, Jim Ray came by. He has helped a number of refugee families settle in Columbia and helped the Sharafoddins navigate questions in their second language. Ray said Afghans in Columbia know the return of the Taliban changed how the US deals with their native country. But while the ban allows spouses, children or parents to travel to America, other family members aren't included. Many Afghans know their extended families are starving or suffering, and suddenly a path to help is closed, Ray said. "We'll have to wait and see how the travel ban and the specifics of it actually play out," Ray said. "This kind of thing that they're experiencing where family cannot be reunited is actually where it hurts the most." The Taliban criticise the travel ban The Taliban have criticised Trump for the ban, with their top leader Hibatullah Akhundzada saying the US was now the oppressor of the world. "Citizens from 12 countries are barred from entering their land - and Afghans are not allowed either," he said on a recording shared on social media. "Why? Because they claim the Afghan government has no control over its people and that people are leaving the country. So, oppressor! Is this what you call friendship with humanity?"
