All articles tagged with #clemency
Michael Cohen says he and Trump have privately reconciled and will discuss their past on Cohen’s radio show when Trump calls in; Cohen won’t commit to asking for presidential clemency during the interview, though he has previously sought a pardon and received a three-year prison sentence related to hush-money actions.
Tyrone Noling, on death row for a 1990 double murder, received a rare clemency hearing before the Ohio Parole Board and presented recanted testimonies and new evidence suggesting another suspect; the hearing, backed by the Ohio Innocence Project and supporters, precedes a board recommendation to Gov. DeWine, who has called for ending the death penalty, with a final decision due by Aug. 25.
Disgraced former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, pardoned by Donald Trump last year, is now lobbying for clemency on behalf of a suburban Chicago councilman convicted in a 2005 vote-buying scheme who fled the country and is reportedly on the lam in Greece.
Convicted sex offender R. Kelly has filed a clemency request with the White House asking President Trump to commute his 30-year federal sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking; the submission is listed as pending with the Pardon Attorney on the DOJ site, but a White House official says such submissions are not actively tracked and this appears to be a random portal entry. Kelly was convicted in 2021 on multiple counts, including sexual exploitation of children, kidnapping, and forced labor, and his 2025 motion for a new trial and bond was denied; his attorney has previously said he would appeal directly to Trump for help.
R&B star R. Kelly has formally asked President Trump to commute his 30-year sentence for sex offenses against minors; the clemency bid, filed with the Office of the Pardon Attorney, is pending. Kelly’s new-trial efforts and related legal maneuvers continue, while prosecutors dismiss conspiracy claims about prison communications. He’s currently imprisoned in a North Carolina federal facility and not eligible for release until 2046.
A Trump-appointed judge granted the DOJ’s motion to dismiss the seditious-conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl after an appeals court vacated those rulings, noting former President Trump’s clemency actions as a major influence; Dominic Pezzola’s related assault/entry conviction remains a separate matter as the case proceeds.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis fired two clemency board members after they publicly criticized his decision to grant clemency to Tina Peters, an election denier whose sentence was cut in May; the board reportedly voted unanimously against Peters in closed sessions. Polis says the firings were due to breaches of confidentiality, while the two dismissed members argue the move undermines transparency and was influenced by political pressure surrounding Peters. Peters was released in June amid a broader Trump administration push on Colorado’s clemency decisions.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis fired two clemency advisory board members after they publicly criticized his decision to commute Tina Peters’ sentence for election-related crimes; Peters, a former Mesa County clerk, was convicted of four felonies and released June 1. The board had unanimously recommended denial, and Polis cited confidentiality and the integrity of the process in the firings, while appointing new members. Peters has continued promoting election conspiracy theories and met President Trump after her release.
Sam Bankman-Fried has formally requested a presidential pardon through the DOJ’s Pardon Attorney, asking for a pardon after completing his 25-year sentence for the FTX collapse, with his appeal pending in New York. Trump has shown no clear interest in granting clemency, while SBF has publicly pursued clemency tactics and given interviews from prison as part of his push.
President Donald Trump granted a full, unconditional pardon to former Indiana congressman Stephen Buyer for insider trading linked to the T-Mobile-Sprint merger and related deals; Buyer served 22 months and maintains his innocence, while supporters say the prosecution was politically motivated; the pardon follows Buyer's 2023 conviction and a May Supreme Court denial.
Keanu Reeves has asked a U.S. judge to show leniency toward his longtime friend Carl Rinsch, who was convicted of money laundering, illegal transactions and wire fraud for siphoning $11 million from Netflix to fund a project that never materialized. Prosecutors say Rinsch spent the money on luxury cars, watches, and other items, and moved funds into crypto and personal accounts; Reeves, who directed him in 2011's 47 Ronin, wrote a letter urging mercy, describing Rinsch as capable of “exceptional work” and suggesting leniency could be healing. Rinsch faces up to 121 months in prison and restitution of $11 million to Netflix (plus $4.4 million in legal fees); sentencing is set for June 29.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commuted Tina Peters’ nine-year sentence for a voting-system breach, allowing early parole and prompting Peters to publicly thank him while Democrats condemn the move as emboldening election deniers. Peters, a former election official tied to 2020 election conspiracy theories, remains a polarizing figure as Polis faces censure from the Colorado Democratic Party for showing mercy. Peters’ post on a social account run by her legal team continues to push conspiratorial rhetoric, signaling ongoing tensions over election integrity and accountability.
Colorado Democrats censured Gov. Jared Polis after he commuted Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters’s sentence in a 2021 voting-equipment breach case, arguing the move—perceived as influenced by Donald Trump—undermines accountability for election tampering and damages the party’s credibility. Peters’ sentence was reduced from eight years and three months to four years and four-and-a-half months while the underlying conviction remains; Polis defended the decision as based on the case’s facts. The clemency action was part of Polis’s broader grant of 44 clemencies, and Democrats, including Secretary of State Griswold, condemned it and barred Polis from some party events.
Colorado Democrats censured Gov. Jared Polis for granting clemency to Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk convicted of enabling unauthorized access to voting equipment; Polis shortened her nine-year sentence to 4.5 years (not a pardon), sparking criticism that the move undermines trust in elections. Peters’ case has become a rallying point for election-denial voices, while Polis’ allies argue the decision was based on the facts of the case and the process, with critics including Sen. Michael Bennet suggesting it could threaten Polis’ political prospects.
The Colorado Democratic Party formally censured Gov. Jared Polis, suspending him from speaking at party events, over his decision to commute the nearly nine-year sentence of Tina Peters, a Mesa County clerk convicted of tampering with voting machines. The measure, approved by about 90% of the State Central Committee, frames the clemency as detrimental to party interests. Peters faces parole June 1, while Polis defended his action as based on the case facts and constitutional rights, and not influenced by outside pressure.