Latest news with #AliceMarieJohnson
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Trump's pardon czar reveals reason reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were freed from jail
President Trump's pardon czar defended the controversial pardons for reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley as she said the justice system was weaponized against them. Alice Marie Johnson, who was pardoned herself by Trump in 2020 before taking over his pardon process this year, told Fox News that the Chrisleys were freed because they were 'overly sentenced.' 'They both received a combined sentence of 19 years for a first-time nonviolent offense and, if you look at their case and how it went down, I'm going to say that, in Georgia, it was truly weaponized.' Johnson said that the couple were endeared to the president because when they went on trial in 2022, prosecutors 'called them the Trumps of Georgia.' The couple were found guilty in 2022 on charges of bank fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion, after defrauding community banks in Atlanta from $36 million by submitting false financial documents. Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Julie received a seven-year sentence, but now both walk free after Trump pardoned them earlier this week. Johnson said their white-collar crimes showed her that 'they don't pose a risk to society', and said she hopes they use their freedom to praise President Trump. 'I know that they're going to use their voices and their platform to uplift the president's agenda,' she said. Alice Marie Johnson, who was pardoned herself by Trump in 2020 before taking over his pardon process this year, said that the Chrisleys were freed because they were 'overly sentenced' and 'do not pose a risk to the community' Todd and Julie were each released from their prisons in Florida and Kentucky, respectively, hours after Trump signed their pardons on Wednesday evening. Johnson said the decision to release the reality TV stars came after she assessed their 'rehabilitation' behind bars. 'Have they not only admitted, but are they remorseful for what they've done?' she said she asked herself. Johnson said she takes these considerations on board for any potential pardon, with Trump also pardoning rapper NBA Young Boy and former Congressman Michael Grimm this week. 'I look at what the staff says about them… and do they pose a safety risk to the community?' she said. 'That's one of the big things, because we don't want to release someone that would pose a risk to the community.' Johnson was previously convicted of cocaine trafficking in 1996 and was sentenced to life imprisonment, but was released after 21 years when Trump granted her clemency. He later pardoned her, and named her as his administration's 'Pardon Czar' this year. Grimm's pardon comes 11 years after he was convicted of tax fraud. He served seven months in jail and carried out 200 hours of community service for the offense. He won reelection in 2014 despite being under indictment for underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran. However, he resigned the following year after pleading guilty. Grimm, who notoriously threatened to throw a reporter off a balcony during the 2014 State of the Union, was previously accused of having sex in the bathroom of a bar after spending more than 15 minutes locked away with a female friend. Last year he was paralyzed from the chest down when he was thrown off a horse during a polo tournament. The president also pardoned a labor union leader who pleaded guilty to failing to report gifts from an advertising firm. James Callahan, of Lindenhurst, New York, was general president of the International Union of Operating Engineers when he accepted - but failed to properly report - receiving at least $315,000 in tickets to sporting events and concerts and other amenities from a company that the union used to place ads. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes was scheduled to sentence Callahan on Wednesday. On Tuesday, however, Callahan's attorneys notified the court of Trump's 'full and unconditional' pardon and asked for the sentencing hearing to be vacated. Earlier this month, prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of six months for Callahan, calling him 'one of the most powerful union leaders in the country.' They said Callahan's salary and other compensation topped $500,000 annually. Now retired and living in Florida, he has a net worth of more than $5 million, according to prosecutors. Meanwhile, ex-Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover has had his sentence commuted. Hoover has been serving multiple life sentences for murder and running a criminal enterprise. He was already serving a 200-year state sentence for the murder of a rival when he was indicted in federal court in 2995, before he was charged with continuing to oversee his murderous drug gang from prison and was convicted in 1997 then sentencing to life in prison. Trump also said Wednesday that he's considering pardons for the men who plotted to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 'I'm going to look at it. I will take a look at it. It's been brought to my attention,' he said in the Oval Office on Wednesday. 'I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job, I'll be honest with you.' 'It looked to me like some people said some stupid things. You know, they were drinking, and I think they said stupid things,' he added. Trump claimed there was bipartisan support for the pardon. 'A lot of people are asking me that question from both sides actually,' he said. 'A lot of people think they got railroaded. A lot of people think they got railroaded.' In 2020, during Trump's first term, federal prosecutors charged six people with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Trump gives clemency to more than 20 people, including political allies
President Trump granted clemency to more than two dozen people Wednesday, including longtime political allies, reality TV stars and a Louisiana rapper. His decision was influenced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson and the newly named Department of Justice Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, whose nomination for U.S. attorney for D.C. was withdrawn amid ethical concerns. 'Today 26 deserving individuals were granted clemencies and pardons. Each one represents a story of redemption, rehabilitation, and resilience. Their second chance is a second shot at life,' Johnson wrote in a Wednesday post on social platform X. The pardon czar later wrote that she was 'Tag teaming freedom with Ed.' Trump critics have questioned the motives behind the president's 'unprecedented' pardons and their projected impact on the criminal justice system. Here is a look at some individuals granted clemency: Imaad Zuberi was sentenced in 2021 to 12 years in prison after being convicted of obstructing an investigation into the president's 2017 inaugural committee, in addition to violating lobbying, campaign finance and tax laws. Zuberi donated more than $1.1 million to the Republican Party and committees with ties to the GOP after Trump's successful White House bid in 2016. Former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland (R) received a pardon after being convicted in two federal cases. Rowland, once the nation's youngest governor, was elected to three terms prior to resigning. He also served as chair of the national Republican Governors Association in addition to three terms in Congress in the 1980s. In 2014, he was convicted of election fraud and obstruction of justice. The guilty verdict came more than a decade after he pleaded guilty to being involved in a $90,000 pay-to-play scheme that brought him luxury flights from Key Air of Oxford to Las Vegas and Florida, according to NBC Connecticut. Former Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) was pardoned after resigning from the House of Representatives and pleading guilty to one count of felony tax fraud, and he 'acknowledged committing perjury, hiring illegal immigrants, and committing wire fraud,' according to The New York Times. The outlet said he operated a Manhattan restaurant where he failed to report $1 million in earnings and hundreds of thousands of dollars in employee wages. Grimm has been a vocal advocate for the president in recent years, taking to television to defend the New York native. Former Arkansas state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson was pardoned after being sentenced in 2023 to more than four years in prison in two cases involving bribery and tax fraud. He was one of several lawmakers and health care executives convicted in a Medicare fraud case, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported. Hutchinson is the son of former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) and the nephew of former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R). Labor union leader James Callahan received a pardon one day before his scheduled sentencing before a federal judge. The former general president of the International Union of Operating Engineers pleaded guilty to accepting $315,000 in unreported goods and services from an advertising firm that the union used to place ads. The gifts he received ranged from free tickets to sporting events, concerts and theater showings in addition to hospitality packages, according to The Associated Press. 'I don't know why you were pardoned,' U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said, AP reported. 'You weren't pardoned because you were wrongfully convicted. You pled guilty to the misdemeanors. You weren't pardoned because you were missentenced. Sentencing hadn't even occurred. You weren't pardoned because the law was somehow unfair, either in general or to you.' Former Cincinnati City Council member Alexander 'P.G.' Sittenfeld (D) received a pardon following his 2022 conviction for bribery and extortion related to donations to a political action committee, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. He accepted $20,000 from undercover FBI agents posing as advocates for a downtown property. His case appeared headed to the Supreme Court for review. Sittenfeld was on the rise and expected to launch a successful mayoral bid before his conviction resulted in a 16-month prison sentence in 2024. He served more than four months before being released while his case was appealed, the Enquirer reported. Mark Bashaw, a former Army officer who was convicted by a military court-martial for refusing to follow the Pentagon's COVID-19 safety rules, received a pardon. He was discharged from the Army in 2022 after a military judge ruled that he failed to comply with the Army's COVID protocol. Bashaw refused to take the COVID-19 shot and would not work remotely or submit a coronavirus test before reporting to work in person in addition to not wearing a face mask indoors. Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were granted clemency Wednesday after a 2022 conviction on bank fraud and tax evasion charges. Their family's lavish lifestyle was documented on the show 'Chrisley Knows Best,' which ran from 2014-23. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison plus 16 months of probation, and Julie Chrisley received seven years behind bars plus 16 months of probation. Kentrell Gaulden, also known as 'NBA YoungBoy,' is a Louisiana-based rapper who was convicted of possessing weapons as a felon. He received a pardon. Gaulden, 25, is the father of 10 children and previously served several stints in juvenile detention. 'I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father and as an artist,' Gaulden said in a statement on Instagram. Trump commuted the federal life sentence of Chicago gang founder Larry Hoover. He co-founded the Gangster Disciples, which still operates on the street and in prison. Hoover, who was convicted of murdering a rival gang leader, is still serving a 200-year sentence for a state murder conviction, the Chicago Tribune reported. Advocates have urged Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) to pardon the inmate, who says he's no longer affiliated with the Gangster Disciples, the outlet said. Charles Tanner received a pardon five years after Trump commuted his life sentence at the end of his first term in 2020, The New York Times reported. He had been convicted of a nonviolent drug offense. The former a professional boxer from Indiana was arrested in 2004 for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Charles Scott was convicted of fraud for his role helping an Ohio corporation defraud investors. He also attempted to manipulate the company's stock, according to the Department of Justice. In 2024, he was sentenced to three years in prison for securities fraud and ordered to pay a $500,000 fine. He received a pardon Wednesday. Earl Lamont Smith, a former Army reserve sergeant, was convicted of theft of government property for stealing thousands of government computers and selling them for profit. Smith pleaded guilty and waived his right to a trial. He was pardoned Wednesday by the president. John Moore and Tanner Mansell removed sharks from a government-sanctioned fishing line in federal waters. They were convicted of theft in 2022, despite their claims that they rescued the sharks from an illegal poaching operation, according to The New York Times. The two were pardoned for their crimes. Marlene and James Kernan of New York were convicted of willingly employing a felon at their New York business and subsequently sentenced to probation in 2010. They were pardoned, as reported by the Times. Additional clemency recipients include Garnett Smith, Edward Sotelo, Joe Sotelo, Marian Morgan, Anabel Valenzuela and Lawrence Duran, according to the Times. The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for more information on the individuals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Trump's pardon czar says Todd and Julie Chrisley were victims of a weaponized justice system
Print Close By Taylor Penley Published May 29, 2025 President Donald Trump's pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson explained the rationale for pardoning reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley on Thursday, insisting the duo were victims of a weaponized justice system. "They were overly sentenced. They both received a combined sentence of 19 years for a first-time nonviolent offense and, if you look at their case and how it went down, I'm going to say that, in Georgia, it was truly weaponized. They called them the Trumps of Georgia," she told "Fox & Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade. Without going into detail, Johnson said some aspects of the Chrisleys' case were "horrific." CHRISLEY CHILDREN CELEBRATE TRUMP'S PLAN TO PARDON REALITY TV PARENTS IN FRAUD, TAX EVASION CASE "Looking at them, they don't pose a risk to society. In fact, I know that they're going to use their voices and their platform to uplift the president's agenda," she added. Todd and Julie rose to fame on the USA Network show "Chrisley Knows Best," which ran for 10 seasons from 2014 to 2023. A jury found the couple guilty of eight counts of financial fraud and two counts of tax evasion in 2022. Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison while Julie was sentenced to seven. Todd walked out of a federal prison in Pensacola, Florida on Wednesday evening, after serving two and a half years, according to his lawyer Alex Little's office. The release came shortly after Trump signed pardons for the couple. CHRISLEYS' ATTORNEY CALLS TRUMP PARDON 'INCREDIBLY POWERFUL' AS COUPLE PREPARES FOR FREEDOM Little's office also confirmed to Fox News Digital that Julie was released from the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, on Wednesday night, shortly after her husband was released. Johnson, who was appointed to the "pardon czar" role in February, told Kilmeade she largely looks at "rehabilitation" when she considers making a pardon recommendation to the president. "Have they rehabilitated? Have they… not only admitted, but are they remorseful for what they've done?" she said. "I look at what the staff says about them… and do they pose a safety risk to the community? That's one of the big things, because we don't want to release someone that would pose a risk to the community." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP She also strives to find people who have a good plan to re-enter into society. Trump has signed several high-profile pardons and commutations in recent days, including the Chrisleys, rapper "NBA YoungBoy" and former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland. Fox News Digital's Janelle Ash, Christina Dugan Ramirez and Larry Fink contributed to this report. Print Close URL
Fox News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Rapper who was pardoned had this to say about president in 2017
The Louisiana rapper who was pardoned by President Donald Trump once said "F--- Donald Trump" in a 2017 song. NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, has been thanking Trump for the reprieve, writing in a recent Instagram post that the president is "giving me the opportunity to keep building -- as a man, as a father, and as an artist." However, in his song "Red Rum," the 25-year-old Gaulden once rapped "And f--- Donald Trump b----, that NBA s---." Pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson was asked about the remark during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" earlier this morning. "So a couple of rappers have come out or let's say one in particular -- YoungBoy. One of his lyrics in 2017 that he put out is "F Donald Trump" and some more disparaging things to say. He had a violent past of assault and battery. Multiple cases of that, and firearm, drug and fraud charges. What sold you on him getting a second chance?" co-host Brian Kilmeade asked her. "I looked at the age and how this young man grew up. He grew up in a very impoverished neighborhood. And the things that he had to face, NBA YoungBoy growing up. Most of those were gun charges without the guns being discharged," she said. "But I also looked at what happened to him on a set where he was filming a video and he had a prop in the set. That's really where this came from. He didn't come out of prison. He was given a pardon so he could have a new beginning. And the officers who in this particular case they came at him as though he was a terrorist and he was on a set, filming for a video. They gave him a gun charge for that... the officers who did this were all investigated and fired. So I look at the elements of what happened to this young man," Johnson added. Last year, Gaulden was sentenced by a federal judge in Utah after he acknowledged possessing weapons despite being a convicted felon. However, he reached an agreement that resolved Utah state charges against him and settled two sets of federal charges against him -- one carried a 23-month sentence and the other ordered five years of probation and a $200,000 fine. "I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and for giving me the opportunity to keep building -- as a man, as a father, and as an artist," Gaulden, whose stage moniker stands for "Never Broke Again," wrote on his Instagram. "This moment means a lot." "It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this," Gaulden added. Gaulden was released from federal prison in March and sent to home confinement after receiving credit for time served, his attorney Drew Findling told the Associated Press. With home confinement finished last month, the pardon means he won't have to follow the terms of his probation, including drug testing, he said. The rapper has acknowledged that he possessed a Glock 21 .45-caliber pistol and a Masterpiece Arms MPA30T 9mm handgun while filming a rap video in Baton Rouge. He has also said he had a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol at his home in Huntsville, Utah. He had agreed to give up the guns. Gaulden had previously been convicted in Louisiana of aggravated assault with a firearm. He had also pleaded guilty in November to his role in a prescription drug fraud ring that operated out of his home in Utah. He had to pay a $25,000 fine and was given no prison time.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump gives clemency to over 20 people, including political allies
President Trump granted clemency to over two dozen people on Wednesday, including longtime political allies, reality TV stars and a Louisiana rapper. His decision was influenced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson and the newly named Department of Justice Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, whose nomination for U.S. Attorney for D.C. was withdrawn amid ethical concerns. 'Today 26 deserving individuals were granted clemencies and pardons. Each one represents a story of redemption, rehabilitation, and resilience. Their second chance is a second shot at life,' Johnson wrote in a Wednesday post on X. The pardon czar later wrote that she was, 'Tag teaming freedom with Ed.' Trump critics have questioned the motives behind the president's 'unprecedented' pardons and its projected impact on the criminal justice system. Here is a look at some individuals granted clemency: Imaad Zuberi was sentenced in 2021 to 12 years in prison after being convicted of obstructing an investigation into the president's 2017 inaugural committee, in addition to violating lobbying, campaign finance and tax laws. Zuberi donated over $1.1 million to the Republican Party and committees with ties to the GOP after Trump's successful White House bid in 2016. Former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland (R) received a pardon after being convicted in two federal cases. Rowland, once the nation's youngest governor, was elected to three terms prior to resigning. He also served as chairman of the national Republican Governors Association in addition to three terms in Congress in the 1980s. In 2014, he was convicted of election fraud and obstruction of justice. The guilty verdict came more than a decade after he pleaded guilty to being involved in a $90,000 pay-to-play scheme that brought him luxury flights from Key Air of Oxford to Las Vegas and Florida, according to NBC Connecticut. Former Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) was pardoned after resigning from the House of Representatives and pleading guilty to one count of felony tax fraud, and 'acknowledged committing perjury, hiring illegal immigrants, and committing wire fraud,' according to the New York Times. The outlet said he operated a Manhattan restaurant where he failed to report $1 million in earnings and hundreds of thousands of dollars in employee wages. Grimm has been a vocal advocate for the president in recent years, taking to television to defend the New York native. Former Arkansas state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson was pardoned after being sentenced in 2023 to over four years in prison in two cases involving bribery and tax fraud, and bribery. He was one of several lawmakers and health care executives convicted in a Medicare fraud case, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported. Hutchinson is the son of former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) and nephew of former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.). Labor union leader James Callahan received a pardon one day before his scheduled sentencing before a federal judge. The former general president of the International Union of Operating Engineers pleading guilty to accepting $315,000 in unreported goods and services from an advertising firm that the union used to place ads. The gifts he received ranged from free tickets to sporting events, concerts and theater showings in addition to hospitality packages, according to the Associated Press. 'I don't know why you were pardoned,' U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said, AP reported. 'You weren't pardoned because you were wrongfully convicted. You pled guilty to the misdemeanors. You weren't pardoned because you were missentenced. Sentencing hadn't even occurred. You weren't pardoned because the law was somehow unfair, either in general or to you.' Former Cincinnati City Council member Alexander 'P.G.' Sittenfeld (D) received a pardon following his 2022 conviction for bribery and extortion related to donations to a political action committee, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. He accepted $20,000 from undercover FBI agents posing as advocates for a downtown property. His case appeared headed to the Supreme Court for review. Sittenfield was on the rise and expected to launch a successful mayoral bid before his conviction resulted in a 16-month prison sentence in 2024. He served about four-and-a-half months before being released while his case was appealed, the Enquirer reported. Mark Bashaw, a former Army officer who was convicted by a military court-martial for refusing to follow the Pentagon's COVID-19 safety rules, received a pardon. He was discharged from the Army in 2022 after a military judge ruled that he failed to comply with the Army's COVID protocol. Bashaw refused to take the COVID-19 shot and would not work remotely or submit a coronavirus test before reporting to work in person in addition to not wearing a face mask indoors. Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were granted clemency on Wednesday after a 2022 conviction on bank fraud and tax evasion charges. Their family's lavish lifestyle was documented on the show 'Chrisley Knows Best,' which ran from 2014-23. The couple was sentenced to 12 years in prison plus 16 months of probation, and seven years behind bars plus 16 months of probation, respectively. Kentrell Gaulden, also known as 'NBA Youngboy' is a Louisiana based rapper who was convicted of possessing weapons as a felon. He received a pardon. Gaulden, 25, is the father of 10 children and previously served several stints in juvenile detention. 'I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father and as an artist,' Gaulden said in a statement on Instagram. Trump commuted the federal life sentence of Chicago gang founder Larry Hoover. He co-founded the Gangster Disciples, which still operates on the street and in prison. He was convicted Hoover, who was convicted of murdering a rival gang leader, still serving a 200-year sentence for a state murder conviction, the Chicago Tribune reported. Advocates have urged Gov. JB Pritzker to pardon the inmate, who says he's no longer affiliated with the Gangster Disciples, the outlet said. Charles Tanner received a pardon five years after Trump commuted his life sentence at the end of his first term in 2020, the New York Times reported. He had been convicted of a nonviolent drug offense. The former a professional boxer from Indiana was arrested in 2004 for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Charles Scott was convicted of fraud for his role helping an Ohio corporation defraud investors. He also attempted to manipulate the company's stock, according to the Department of Justice. In 2024, he was sentenced to three years in prison for securities fraud and ordered to pay a $500,000 fine. He received a pardon on Wednesday. Earl Lamont Smith, a former Army reserve sergeant, was convicted of theft of government property for stealing thousands of government computers and selling them for profit. Smith pleaded guilty and waived his right to a trial. He was pardoned by the president on Wednesday. John Moore and Tanner Mansell removed sharks from a government-sanctioned fishing line in federal waters. They were convicted of theft in 2022, despite their claims that they rescued the sharks from an illegal poaching operation, according to the New York Times. The two were pardoned for their crimes. Marlene and James Kernan of New York were convicted of willingly employing a felon at their New York business and subsequently sentenced to probation in 2010. They were pardoned, as reported by the Times. Additional clemency recipients include Garnett Smith, Edward Sotelo, Joe Sotelo, Marian Morgan, Anabel Valenzuela and Lawrence Duran, according to the outlet. The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for more information on the individuals.
