President Trump is commuting the prison sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich amid a banner day that say 11 people either pardoned or their sentences commuted. And there are a few more famous – and controversial – names on the list.
Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison in late 2011 on charges of extortion and corruption – for his selling of the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. Among them:
Former New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who pleaded guilty to felony charges involving tax fraud and making false statements to federal investigators. Kerik served about three years in prison – but Trump’s pardon is also hitting taxpayers. With Kerik’s pardon, more than $100-thousand of restitution he owed has also been wiped out.
Edward DeBartolo, Jr. was the owner of the San Francisco 49ers when the team won five Super Bowls in the 1980s and 90s. Then in 1998, he plead guilty to failing to report a felony over a $400-thousand extortion payment to Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards in exchange for a riverboat gambling license. While DeBartolo’s sentence was probation, the crime ended his time as an NFL owner.
Financier Michael Milken, best known as the “Junk Bond King,” he was a well-known figure on Wall Street at a now-defunct firm. Originally sentenced to 10 years and a $600-million fine, he was released after two years for turning on his colleagues.
And for those questioning if Trump’s pardons will extend to General Michael Flynn or his longtime friend/advisor Roger Stone (who is set to be sentenced this week)? Maybe. "I'm allowed to be totally involved," he told reporters yesterday. "I'm actually, I guess, the chief law enforcement officer of the country. But I've chosen not to be involved.”
Source: NBC News