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The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump pardons rapper NBA YoungBoy in spree of clemency actions
He was serving a 23-month sentence for federal gun charges as part of a plea deal reached with federal prosecutors in December. The previous month, Gaulden pleaded guilty to his involvement in a Utah pharmacy drug ring, but he avoided incarceration and paid a $25,000 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 rap name stands for "Never Broke Again," wrote on his Instagram account. "This moment means a lot." He added that the pardon "opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I'm fully prepared to step into this." More: Trump's latest wave of pardons includes rapper, GOP governor convicted of corruption The pardon means Gaulden will no longer have travel restrictions, allowing him to embark on a 32-date national tour set to kick off in September that he's dubbed the "MASA tour" - "Make America Slime Again." It's a riff on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Slime refers to a close friend or homie in hip-hop lingo. Trump has issued a slew of pardons that coincided with the first full week of Ed Martin serving as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. Trump had previously nominated Martin to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, but he withdrew in the face of Republican opposition on Capitol Hill over Martin's support for Jan. 6 rioters. Pardons fully wipe out a recipient's guilt of a criminal act and any penalties tied to a conviction. Typically, a wave of pardons comes at the end of a president's term. But Trump has smashed all norms, beginning with his day one pardons of more than 1,600 individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump on May 27 pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley of the USA Network television show "Chrisley Knows Best" fame, in which they portrayed themselves as real estate tycoons in the South. The couple was found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks in Atlanta out of more than $36 million in fraudulent loans. More: Trump pardons former Army officer convicted in court martial of disobeying COVID rules The next day, Trump commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, 74, a notorious former Chicago gang leader who co-founded the Gangster Disciples and was convicted in 1973 for the murder of a drug dealer. Hoover, who was serving six life terms for his federal charges, still must serve a 200-year sentence for his Illinois state charges. Trump also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who resigned from his office after pleading guilty in late 2004 to one count of conspiring to commit tax fraud and depriving the public of honest service over $107,000 in gifts he accepted from companies doing business with the state. Rowland, a former New York congressman, was later convicted of obstructing justice, conspiracy, falsifying government documents, and other violations of campaign finance laws. He was sentenced to nearly three years in prison. More: Donald Trump pardons former Republican Rep. Michael Grimm for tax fraud conviction Trump pardoned former New York Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican congressman from 2011 to 2015, who resigned after being convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to eight months in prison. And as first reported by USA TODAY, Trump also pardoned former 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw, a former U.S. Army officer who was found guilty by a special court martial during the Biden administration for refusing to follow COVID-19 safety measures. The White House has not provided a full list of Trump's pardons, deferring to the Department of Justice, which updates clemency actions on its website. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and Zac Anderson Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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. Rapper Thanks Trump For Pardon On Gun Conviction "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. Read On The Fox News App "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. Trump Pardons Ex-connecticut Governor Rowland And Commutes Chicago Gang Leader Hoover's Sentence "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 Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: Rapper who was pardoned had this to say about president in 2017
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
President Trump pardons rapper NBA YoungBoy in flurry of clemency actions
President Trump pardons rapper NBA YoungBoy in flurry of clemency actions Show Caption Hide Caption Trump pardons reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley President Trump called Savannah Chrisley from the Oval Office in the White House to tell her he wanted to pardon her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley. WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump pardoned rapper NBA YoungBoy as part of a spree of reprieves this week, including one for a couple known on reality television and a commuted federal sentence for a former Chicago gang leader convicted of murder. A White House official confirmed the May 28 pardon of Louisiana-based NBA YoungBoy, 25, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden. He was serving a 23-month sentence for federal gun charges as part of a plea deal reached with federal prosecutors in December. The previous month, Gaulden pleaded guilty to his involvement in a Utah pharmacy drug ring, but he avoided incarceration and paid a $25,000 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 rap name stands for "Never Broke Again," wrote on his Instagram account. "This moment means a lot." He added that the pardon "opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I'm fully prepared to step into this." More: Trump's latest wave of pardons includes rapper, GOP governor convicted of corruption The pardon means Gaulden will no longer have travel restrictions, allowing him to embark on a 32-date national tour set to kick off in September that he's dubbed the "MASA tour" ‒ "Make America Slime Again." It's a riff on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Slime refers to a close friend or homie in hip-hop lingo. Trump has issued a slew of pardons that coincided with the first full week of Ed Martin serving as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. Trump had previously nominated Martin to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, but he withdrew in the face of Republican opposition on Capitol Hill over Martin's support for Jan. 6 rioters. Pardons fully wipe out a recipient's guilt of a criminal act and any penalties tied to a conviction. Typically, a wave of pardons comes at the end of a president's term. But Trump has smashed all norms, beginning with his day one pardons of more than 1,600 individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump on May 27 pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley of the USA Network television show "Chrisley Knows Best" fame, in which they portrayed themselves as real estate tycoons in the South. The couple was found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks in Atlanta out of more than $36 million in fraudulent loans. More: Trump pardons former Army officer convicted in court martial of disobeying COVID rules The next day, Trump commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, 74, a notorious former Chicago gang leader who co-founded the Gangster Disciples and was convicted in 1973 for the murder of a drug dealer. Hoover, who was serving six life terms for his federal charges, still must serve a 200-year sentence for his Illinois state charges. Trump also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who resigned from his office after pleading guilty in late 2004 to one count of conspiring to commit tax fraud and depriving the public of honest service over $107,000 in gifts he accepted from companies doing business with the state. Rowland, a former New York congressman, was later convicted of obstructing justice, conspiracy, falsifying government documents, and other violations of campaign finance laws. He was sentenced to nearly three years in prison. More: Donald Trump pardons former Republican Rep. Michael Grimm for tax fraud conviction Trump pardoned former New York Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican congressman from 2011 to 2015, who resigned after being convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to eight months in prison. And as first reported by USA TODAY, Trump also pardoned former 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw, a former U.S. Army officer who was found guilty by a special court martial during the Biden administration for refusing to follow COVID-19 safety measures. The White House has not provided a full list of Trump's pardons, deferring to the Department of Justice, which updates clemency actions on its website. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and Zac Anderson Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rapper thanks Trump for pardon on gun conviction
A Louisiana rapper who was convicted on gun charges is now thanking President Donald Trump for pardoning him, saying he is "giving me the opportunity to keep building -- as a man, as a father, and as an artist." NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, made the statement as Trump issued a number of pardons Wednesday. 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." Trump Pardons Ex-connecticut Governor Rowland And Commutes Chicago Gang Leader Hoover's Sentence "It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this," Gaulden added. Read On The Fox News App 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. "From Louisiana to Utah the battles have been endless, and now he can concentrate on first and foremost his family, and then, of course, his amazing career," Findling said in a statement. 'Island Boys' Rapper Franky Venegas Arrested In Florida On Gun, Drug Charges 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, according to his statement released in advance of the plea agreement. 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. Gaulden, who has achieved four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and one Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, is now preparing to set out on a major U.S. arena tour later this year. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: Rapper thanks Trump for pardon on gun conviction
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Trump issues pardons for politicians, reality TV stars, a union leader and a rapper
WASHINGTON — President Trump issued a series of pardons on Wednesday, awarding them to a former New York congressman, a Connecticut governor, a rapper known as 'NBA YoungBoy,' a labor union leader and a onetime Army officer who flouted safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump's actions mixed his willingness to pardon prominent Republicans and other supporters, donors and friends with the influence of Alice Marie Johnson, whom Trump recently named his pardon czar after he offered her a pardon in 2020. He commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader serving a life sentence at a supermax prison in Colorado. Hoover was first imprisoned in connection with a murder in 1973, and was convicted of running a criminal enterprise in 1998, but later renounced his criminal past and petitioned for a reduced sentence. He remains incarcerated on state charges. Louisiana rap artist NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden and whose stage moniker stands for 'Never Broke Again,' also received a Trump pardon. In 2024, he was sentenced to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. Gaulden also pleaded guilty to his role in a prescription drug fraud ring in Utah. Gaulden's and the other pardons were confirmed Wednesday evening by two White House officials who spoke only on condition of anonymity to detail actions that had not yet been made public. In a statement posted online, Gaulden said, '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.' He said this 'opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this,' and thanked Johnson. Trump has spent the week issuing high-profile pardons. Video released by a White House aide showed Johnson in the Oval Office on Tuesday, as Trump called the daughter of Todd and Julie Chrisley of the reality show 'Chrisley Knows Best' to say he was pardoning them. Their show spotlighted the family's extravagant lifestyle, but the couple was convicted of conspiring to defraud banks in the Atlanta area out of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, addressed the Republican convention last summer and had long said her parents were treated unfairly. Also Wednesday, Trump pardoned James Callahan, a New York union leader who pleaded guilty to failing to report $315,000 in gifts from an advertising firm and was about to be sentenced. And the president pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, a Republican who served from 1995 to 2004 and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for charges related to concealing his involvement in two federal election campaigns. He also pardoned Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress after being convicted of tax fraud. Grimm won reelection in 2014 despite being under indictment for underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant that he ran. Grimm eventually resigned after pleading guilty and serving eight months in prison. Last year, Grimm was paralyzed from the chest down when he was thrown off a horse during a polo tournament. Yet another Trump pardon was issued for Army Lt. Mark Bradshaw, who was convicted in 2022 of reporting to work without undergoing a COVID-19 test. Alice Marie Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation. Trump commuted her life sentence in 2018 at the urging of celebrity Kim Kardashian West, allowing for Johnson's early release. Johnson then served as the featured speaker on the final night of the 2020 Republican National Convention, and Trump subsequently pardoned her before more recently naming her his pardons czar. Weissert writes for the Associated Press.
