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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's pardon of Sittenfeld stunned many in Cincinnati, but the move fits a pattern
Anyone trying to explain President Donald Trump's pardon of former Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld this week would be hard-pressed to find a reason in either man's words or deeds. Trump is the Republican, MAGA-hat-wearing populist who revels in mocking Democrats, while Sittenfeld is the liberal Democrat who once called Trump a 'buffoonish carnival barker.' And yet, despite their obvious differences, something or someone motivated Trump to use one of his greatest presidential powers on Sittenfeld's behalf. Neither Trump nor Sittenfeld is saying who or what may have provided that motivation. But the two men are connected in at least a few ways that could have drawn Trump's attention to Sittenfeld's political corruption case and opened the door to his decision to grant him a 'full and unconditional pardon.' Their most obvious common ground is personal familiarity with a federal prosecution they deemed unfair and politically motivated. Before returning to the White House, Trump faced charges related to his handling of classified documents and his efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election. Sittenfeld, meanwhile, got a 16-month prison sentence in a bribery and extortion case that derailed a promising political career. Although Trump has given no indication he's familiar with the details of Sittenfeld's case, the president has complained repeatedly about what he describes as the 'weaponization' of the legal system against him and others. Just one day before announcing Sittenfeld's pardon, Trump pardoned a Virginia sheriff convicted on corruption charges, claiming he was 'a victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice.' He's also recently pardoned a state senator in Tennessee, a city council member in Las Vegas, two reality TV stars and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who, like Sittenfeld, is a Democrat. 'Trump is just committed to emptying the prisons of anyone convicted of political corruption,' said David Niven, a political scientist at the University of Cincinnati who's been critical of Trump's pardons. 'I think that's the bottom line.' The effect of Trump's pardons, Niven said, is to undermine the government's ability to prosecute corruption cases while also numbing the public to bad behavior by politicians. In this view, it doesn't matter that Sittenfeld is a Democrat and Trump is a Republican. 'This is much more about corruption than politics,' Niven said. Brian Kalt, a law professor at Michigan State University who specializes in presidential powers, said Trump showed in his first term a willingness to help people who shared his political beliefs. This time, he said, the president has taken a keen interest in anyone who's faced a prosecution related to public corruption. 'He's been pardoning people he identifies with,' Kalt said. Most of those pardons have gone to Republicans or, in Blagojevich's case, to people who've publicly praised Trump. Trump advisor Ed Martin explained Trump's approach to pardons this way in a social media post this week: 'No MAGA left behind.' Sittenfeld doesn't appear to fall into that category. He ran for office as a Democrat and has not publicly said anything supportive of Trump. On the contrary, when Trump was on his way to the Republican nomination in 2015, Sittenfeld posted a short YouTube video critical of Trump and his rhetoric. "Donald Trump has gone from being a buffoonish carnival barker to something darker and far more dangerous," he said. 'The fearmongering, the wanton bigotry, the calls for mass deportation, ethnic registries and the scapegoating of religious minorities – this isn't politics as usual." But Trump might have reason to look past such comments, said Bernadette Meyler, a Stanford University law professor who specializes in constitutional law. She said pardoning someone with whom he has little else in common might serve a purpose for Trump. She said it's easier for the president to argue the public corruption pardons he's granting are based on legal reasons, rather than political reasons, if he gives them to both Republicans and Democrats. 'It helps to legitimize his pardons of Republicans if he can say he's pardoned at least some people accused of similar things who are Democrats,' Meyler said. How did Sittenfeld become one of the lucky few Democrats to make the list? Meyler said most people who get pardons have an advocate, either a lawyer or a prominent person known to the president, who can make the case for the president's intervention. There are at least two lawyers who could fit that bill. After Sittenfeld's indictment in 2020, he turned for help to James Burnham, a well-known Republican attorney and expert in corruption cases who worked in both the first and second Trump administration. Most recently, Burnham served as a general counsel in billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Another lawyer with ties to both Trump and Sittenfeld is Yaakov Roth, who argued Sittenfeld's case on appeal and now works as Trump's deputy assistant attorney general in the civil division of the Department of Justice. It's not known whether Burnham or Roth, neither of whom could be reached to comment, or anyone else brought Sittenfeld's case to Trump's attention. Other prominent Sittenfeld supporters either couldn't be reached or declined to comment when asked about the pardon and whether they'd reached out to the president on his behalf. Dick Rosenthal, a Cincinnati philanthropist who in 2021 signed an open letter critical of Sittenfeld's prosecution, said he wouldn't comment because, 'I don't think it would be helpful to your readers, or to P.G., or to my family.' Political donors and supporters have for decades been beneficiaries of presidential pardons, but it's become more difficult under Trump to track money flowing to the president or to his family. Trump recently hosted a dinner and White House tour for investors who'd bought millions of dollars of $TRUMP memecoins, which benefits the Trump family's crypto business. Some of those who attended said they hoped their purchase of the memecoins might give them an opportunity to influence Trump on matters they care about. Niven said Trump's mingling of family business and the presidency is another reason the president is eager to attack public corruption cases like Sittenfeld's. 'This is just about normalizing political corruption,' Niven said. 'It's very useful for him, as he auctions off the White House to the highest crypto bidder, that no one pays a price for political corruption.' Kalt, the Michigan State law professor, said questions about pardons and the motivation for granting them are nothing new. It's the speed and scope of Trump's that have drawn so much attention and criticism. Ultimately, though, the president doesn't have to explain his reasons for pardoning anyone, including Sittenfeld. The pardon power requires no Congressional oversight and no judicial review. It's the president's alone to use as he sees fit. 'Ideally, there would be transparency and accountability,' Kalt said. 'But legally the president has the power to do this however he wants.' This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: trump pardon of sittenfeld shocked many, but the move fits a pattern
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
President Trump's latest pardons include reality TV stars, Capitol rioters, and convicted sheriff
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — President Donald Trump's recent wave of pardons is drawing national attention and sparking fresh debate. Among the latest to receive clemency are reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, convicted for bank fraud, and several individuals jailed for their roles in the January 6 Capitol riot. On Tuesday, Trump personally called the Chrisleys' children to inform them their parents would be released. The couple's daughter had endorsed Trump during last year's Republican National Convention. 'I heard they're terrific,' the president said of the family. Meanwhile, Trump has confirmed he is considering pardons for Barry Croft Jr. and Adam Fox—two men found guilty in 2022 of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. At the time, authorities said the plan was an attempt to incite civil war in the lead-up to the election. Trump expressed doubts about the verdict, calling it 'somewhat of a railroad job' and adding, 'it's been brought to my attention.' Since his return to office, Trump has issued dozens of pardons, including for people convicted in connection to the January 6 Capitol attack. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who accuse the president of abusing his clemency powers. One particularly controversial pardon was for Virginia Sheriff Scott Jenkins. A jury convicted Jenkins last year of accepting more than $75,000 in bribes, and he was sentenced to ten years in March. Trump defended the move, saying Jenkins was a victim of what he called an 'overzealous Biden Department of Justice.' Senator Mark Warner of Virginia called the pardon 'a slap in the face.' Gov. Whitmer has made two public appearances alongside President Trump since his return to the White House. Her office has not responded to a request for comment. Although more people were implicated in the Whitmer kidnapping plot, only Croft and Fox received federal sentences, which makes them eligible for presidential pardons. Trump has not indicated when a final decision on their cases will be made. In a statement, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) said, 'I'm deeply disturbed President Trump is considering pardoning the men convicted of conspiring to kidnap Governor Whitmer. I would want anyone who tried to hurt the president, or worse, tried to assassinate him, to be held accountable. Those who tried to harm the governor must be held accountable as well, not released to do further harm to her or anyone else.' As Trump continues to wield his pardon powers, critics argue it's part of a broader effort to reward political allies and undermine institutions. Supporters claim he is correcting what they see as political overreach by the previous administration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's pardons highlight Justice Department's pullback from public corruption cases
WASHINGTON — The government's evidence against Scott Jenkins was compelling, including undercover video and other corroboration showing Jenkins, then the sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, accepting over $75,000 in exchange for giving law enforcement authority to local businessmen, as well as two undercover FBI special agents. Jenkins' co-defendants all pleaded guilty, and jurors didn't take long to convict Jenkins last year, deliberating for around two hours before they found him guilty on all counts. When Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison in March, the acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia said he "violated his oath of office and the faith the citizens of Culpeper County placed in him when he engaged in a cash-for-badges scheme." But on Monday, President Donald Trump announced he was pardoning Jenkins, calling him "a victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice" who "doesn't deserve to spend a single day in jail." It's part of a broader pattern for Trump, who in the first few months of his second term has pardoned at least four supportive former public officials who were convicted of financial improprieties. Trump, who faced two separate federal criminal cases that were dropped after he was re-elected in November, has long argued that he was a victim of the weaponization of the Justice Department and the FBI, and he has been sympathetic to those who make similar claims, particularly those who are politically aligned with him. In February, Trump pardoned Rod Blagojevich, the Democratic former governor of Illinois, whose sentence he had commuted in 2020, after he was convicted on corruption charges related to bribery. (Blagojevich attended the 2024 Republican convention in support of Trump.) Trump pardoned Republican former Tennessee state Sen. Brian Kelsey in March, just over two weeks into a 21-month sentence over a campaign finance-related fraud conviction. (Fellow Tennessee Republicans implored Trump to pardon Kelsey, who thanked him upon his release from prison and said that 'God used Donald Trump to save me.') Last month, Trump pardoned Republican former Las Vegas City Council member Michele Fiore, who had been set to be sentenced this month after she was convicted on conspiracy and wire fraud charges related to misused fundraising. (Fiore had hitched her political career to Trump and benefited from his endorsement while she backed his false statements about voter fraud in the 2020 election.) Those four figures and their pardons aren't the only evidence of a Justice Department de-emphasizing public corruption cases. In the early days of the administration, the Justice Department also dropped a campaign finance case against Republican former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, who had been set to go on trial next month. The Trump administration also moved to drop the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, which led several Justice Department officials to resign in protest. The Adams and Jenkins cases, among others, are linked by the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section. The division, which focuses on bringing cases against public officials accused of breaking the law, has shrunk in both size and influence during the Trump administration. The FBI's Washington Field Office is shutting down a public corruption squad that was focused on federal corruption. 'It's clear that this administration doesn't believe that tamping down on public corruption is a priority,' said Stacey Young, a former Justice Department official who founded Justice Connection, a network of Justice Department alumni formed in response to the Trump administration's overhaul of the Justice Department. 'Pardoning a sheriff who took cash for deputy badges is just the latest in a string of actions this president has taken to undermine any effort to hold officials accountable to the public they are sworn to serve.' The White House didn't respond to a request for comment. It's not clear how the Jenkins case first made its way on the White House's radar, but it found a backer in Ed Martin, the conservative activist whom Trump initially put in charge of the U.S. attorney's office in Washington before he recently named him the U.S. pardon attorney. Martin wrote on X that he was 'thrilled' the Jenkins' was the first pardon since he took the position: 'Congratulations, Sheriff Jenkins: Do great things and make us proud.' In a thread in which he thanked Trump for pardoning Jenkins, Martin — who is also director of the Justice Department's Weaponization Working Group — wrote, 'No MAGA left behind.' Last week, Martin met with White House 'pardon czar' Alice Marie Johnson, whose life sentence for a drug conviction Trump commuted during his first term. Trump later gave Johnson a full pardon. In an interview with Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump that aired on Fox News this month, Johnson said she would review the cases of people who spent too much time behind bars, as well as 'the victims of lawfare, the same way our president was.' A Justice Department official said that Martin was eager to get involved in the Jenkins case after meetings with the White House and that he concurred with and supported Trump's decision to issue a pardon. Jenkins had argued that he was targeted because of his conservative politics, including his positions on immigration, guns and Covid lockdowns. In his own sentencing memo, Jenkins' lawyers said he "adamantly maintains his innocence." When Jenkins was under investigation, he and other sheriffs discussed the possibility of "flying to a secret location to view the Hunter Biden laptop, and then bringing charges against Hunter Biden based on any crimes depicted on it," his lawyers wrote in the sentencing memo. The government said Jenkins perjured himself at trial, falsely testifying that co-defendant Rick Rahim had given him a "business investment" because Jenkins had copyrighted the logo "Make Virginia Great Again" and that they were investing in red shirts and hats. Discussions about "Make America Great Again" shirts didn't happen until after Rahim had made payments to Jenkins, which were intended to help him get his firearms rights restored, prosecutors argued. Last week, prosecutors asked a judge to sentence Rahim, who pleaded guilty, to 27 months in prison, saying Jenkins made Rahim a "Helicopter Pilot" in exchange for bribes and pushed his petition for restoration of gun rights even though Rahim didn't live in the county. Prosecutors said recordings captured Jenkins laying out the scheme in clear terms after he became frustrated that Rahim was pushing for more favors. 'I appreciate what support you give me, but you didn't do it for nothin'. You got a felony record, a clean slate to carry — not only carry a gun,' Jenkins said in a recorded conversation in 2022, according to a court filing. 'We followed it up with swearing you in. Name another sheriff in the whole State of Virginia that would do that.' An attorney for Jenkins didn't respond to a request for comment, and a message left at a phone number registered to Jenkins got no response. Meanwhile, more pardons for Trump supporters may be in the pipeline. On Tuesday, Trump called two of the children of reality television couple Todd and Julie Chrisley and told them their parents would receive pardons for bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy charges. One of their daughters, reality star Savannah Chrisley, spoke on their behalf at the Republican National Convention last year and more recently appeared on a Fox News segment with Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump. "When I saw, obviously, what the president was going through, what I was going through, it was eerily similar," Savannah Chrisley said in the interview. Martin recently met with attorney Peter Ticktin, who presented pardon applications for members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, as first reported by Politico. While most Jan. 6 defendants got full pardons, Trump initially commuted the sentences of some of the members of the two far-right groups, ending their prison sentences but maintaining the convictions and the collateral consequences — like deprivation of certain rights — that go along with them. 'There's a good deal of reason to be hopeful,' Ticktin, who went to the New York Military Academy with Trump, told NBC News. 'No promises were made as to what would be done; that's not the way it works. We present it and then we hope for the best." This article was originally published on
Epoch Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Who Is Scott Jenkins, the Former Virginia Sheriff Pardoned by Trump
President Donald Trump made headlines on Memorial Day with his pardon of former Virginia sheriff Scott Jenkins, who was convicted on The president In announcing the pardon, Trump called Jenkins, formerly the sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, a 'victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice.' 'Sheriff Scott Jenkins, his wife, Patricia, and their family have been dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden DOJ,' Trump 'He will NOT be going to jail tomorrow, but instead will have a wonderful and productive life.' Jenkins Case Convicted in December 2024, Jenkins, 53, was sentenced in March on charges of accepting more than $72,500 in bribes in exchange for auxiliary deputy sheriffs' appointments. He was Related Stories 5/26/2025 5/14/2025 Jenkins was eventually found guilty on one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery. The jury found him guilty of accepting bribes in the form of campaign contributions from multiple individuals in exchange for positions in the sheriff's department, including badges and credentials. 'The bribe payors were not trained or vetted and did not render any legitimate services to the Sheriff's Office,' the Justice Department Jenkins was also accused of pressuring local officials to approve the petition filed in Culpeper County Circuit Court by a convicted felon to restore his right to possess a firearm, falsely stating that he resided in Culpeper County. Following his conviction, Jenkins appealed directly to Trump for relief, saying at an April webinar hosted by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association: 'I believe wholeheartedly in the president. 'I believe if he heard the information, I know he would help if he knew my story.' After issuing the pardon, Trump cited U.S. District Judge Robert Ballou's denial of Jenkins's attempt to offer certain evidence in his defense, saying the judge 'refused to allow it, shut him down, and then went on a tirade.' Sheriff's Career The former Virginia law enforcement officer was elected as sheriff in 2011 and took the oath on Jan. 1, 2012. He won reelection twice before losing his position in 2023 while under investigation for the crimes for which he was eventually convicted. During his tenure as an elected official, he ran as both a Republican and an independent. While serving as sheriff, Jenkins was known for his advocacy for Second Amendment rights. In 2019, the sheriff made headlines when he promised to deputize residents of his county if the newly elected Democratic majority state Legislature passed certain gun restrictions. While he was in leadership in Culpeper County, the Sheriff's Office implemented active shooter training for public school employees. His office also offered free concealed-carry training to citizens in the area. Jenkins formed the county's first SWAT team and served as a firearms and tactics instructor. Reactions to the Pardon U.S. pardon attorney Ed Martin reacted to Trump's decision on X, 'Congratulations, Sheriff Jenkins: Do great things and make us proud.' Abigail Spanberger, former member of Congress and current gubernatorial candidate, who previously represented the county where Jenkins was sheriff, expressed an opposing view. She said Jenkins 'abused his power, violated his oath, committed multiple federal crimes, and was to be held accountable for his crimes.' 'He was convicted by a jury of his peers. ... He was supposed to report to prison this week for a 10-year sentence,' she said. 'The president just pardoned him in an affront to the oath he swore, the community he betrayed, the laws he broke, and the law enforcement officers who investigated this case and hold themselves to the highest ethical standard every day.' Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Trump's pardons highlight Justice Department's pullback from public corruption cases
WASHINGTON — The government's evidence against Scott Jenkins was compelling, including undercover video and other corroboration showing Jenkins, then the sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, accepting over $75,000 in exchange for giving law enforcement authority to local businessmen, as well as two undercover FBI special agents. Jenkins' co-defendants all pleaded guilty, and jurors didn't take long to convict Jenkins last year, deliberating for around two hours before they found him guilty on all counts. When Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison in March, the acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia said he "violated his oath of office and the faith the citizens of Culpeper County placed in him when he engaged in a cash-for-badges scheme." But on Monday, President Donald Trump announced he was pardoning Jenkins, calling him "a victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice" who "doesn't deserve to spend a single day in jail." It's part of a broader pattern for Trump, who in the first few months of his second term has pardoned at least four supportive former public officials who were convicted of financial improprieties. Trump, who faced two separate federal criminal cases that were dropped after he was re-elected in November, has long argued that he was a victim of the weaponization of the Justice Department and the FBI, and he has been sympathetic to those who make similar claims, particularly those who are politically aligned with him. In February, Trump pardoned Rod Blagojevich, the Democratic former governor of Illinois, whose sentence he had commuted in 2020, after he was convicted on corruption charges related to bribery. (Blagojevich attended the 2024 Republican convention in support of Trump.) Trump pardoned Republican former Tennessee state Sen. Brian Kelsey in March, just over two weeks into a 21-month sentence over a campaign finance-related fraud conviction. (Fellow Tennessee Republicans implored Trump to pardon Kelsey, who thanked him upon his release from prison and said that 'God used Donald Trump to save me.') Last month, Trump pardoned Republican former Las Vegas City Council member Michele Fiore, who had been set to be sentenced this month after she was convicted on conspiracy and wire fraud charges related to misused fundraising. (Fiore had hitched her political career to Trump and benefited from his endorsement while she backed his false statements about voter fraud in the 2020 election.) Those four figures and their pardons aren't the only evidence of a Justice Department de-emphasizing public corruption cases. In the early days of the administration, the Justice Department also dropped a campaign finance case against Republican former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, who had been set to go on trial next month. The Trump administration also moved to drop the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, which led several Justice Department officials to resign in protest. The Adams and Jenkins cases, among others, are linked by the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section. The division, which focuses on bringing cases against public officials accused of breaking the law, has shrunk in both size and influence during the Trump administration. The FBI's Washington Field Office is shutting down a public corruption squad that was focused on federal corruption. 'It's clear that this administration doesn't believe that tamping down on public corruption is a priority,' said Stacey Young, a former Justice Department official who founded Justice Connection, a network of Justice Department alumni formed in response to the Trump administration's overhaul of the Justice Department. 'Pardoning a sheriff who took cash for deputy badges is just the latest in a string of actions this president has taken to undermine any effort to hold officials accountable to the public they are sworn to serve.' The White House didn't respond to a request for comment. 'Make Virginia Great Again' It's not clear how the Jenkins case first made its way on the White House's radar, but it found a backer in Ed Martin, the conservative activist whom Trump initially put in charge of the U.S. attorney's office in Washington before he recently named him the U.S. pardon attorney. Martin wrote on X that he was 'thrilled' the Jenkins' was the first pardon since he took the position: 'Congratulations, Sheriff Jenkins: Do great things and make us proud.' In a thread in which he thanked Trump for pardoning Jenkins, Martin — who is also director of the Justice Department's Weaponization Working Group — wrote, 'No MAGA left behind.' Last week, Martin met with White House 'pardon czar' Alice Marie Johnson, whose life sentence for a drug conviction Trump commuted during his first term. Trump later gave Johnson a full pardon. In an interview with Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump that aired on Fox News this month, Johnson said she would review the cases of people who spent too much time behind bars, as well as 'the victims of lawfare, the same way our president was.' A Justice Department official said that Martin was eager to get involved in the Jenkins case after meetings with the White House and that he concurred with and supported Trump's decision to issue a pardon. Jenkins had argued that he was targeted because of his conservative politics, including his positions on immigration, guns and Covid lockdowns. In his own sentencing memo, Jenkins' lawyers said he "adamantly maintains his innocence." When Jenkins was under investigation, he and other sheriffs discussed the possibility of "flying to a secret location to view the Hunter Biden laptop, and then bringing charges against Hunter Biden based on any crimes depicted on it," his lawyers wrote in the sentencing memo. The government said Jenkins perjured himself at trial, falsely testifying that co-defendant Rick Rahim had given him a "business investment" because Jenkins had copyrighted the logo "Make Virginia Great Again" and that they were investing in red shirts and hats. Discussions about "Make America Great Again" shirts didn't happen until after Rahim had made payments to Jenkins, which were intended to help him get his firearms rights restored, prosecutors argued. Last week, prosecutors asked a judge to sentence Rahim, who pleaded guilty, to 27 months in prison, saying Jenkins made Rahim a "Helicopter Pilot" in exchange for bribes and pushed his petition for restoration of gun rights even though Rahim didn't live in the county. Prosecutors said recordings captured Jenkins laying out the scheme in clear terms after he became frustrated that Rahim was pushing for more favors. 'I appreciate what support you give me, but you didn't do it for nothin'. You got a felony record, a clean slate to carry — not only carry a gun,' Jenkins said in a recorded conversation in 2022, according to a court filing. 'We followed it up with swearing you in. Name another sheriff in the whole State of Virginia that would do that.' An attorney for Jenkins didn't respond to a request for comment, and a message left at a phone number registered to Jenkins got no response. Meanwhile, more pardons for Trump supporters may be in the pipeline. On Tuesday, Trump called two of the children of reality television couple Todd and Julie Chrisley and told them their parents would receive pardons for bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy charges. One of their daughters, reality star Savannah Chrisley, spoke on their behalf at the Republican National Convention last year and more recently appeared on a Fox News segment with Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump. "When I saw, obviously, what the president was going through, what I was going through, it was eerily similar," Savannah Chrisley said in the interview. Martin recently met with attorney Peter Ticktin, who presented pardon applications for members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, as first reported by Politico. While most Jan. 6 defendants got full pardons, Trump initially commuted the sentences of some of the members of the two far-right groups, ending their prison sentences but maintaining the convictions and the collateral consequences — like deprivation of certain rights — that go along with them. 'There's a good deal of reason to be hopeful,' Ticktin, who went to the New York Military Academy with Trump, told NBC News. 'No promises were made as to what would be done; that's not the way it works. We present it and then we hope for the best."
