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and the newly named Department of Justice Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, whose nomination for U.S. Attorney for D.C. was withdrawn amid ethical concerns.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
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 Gov. John Rowland
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
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 State Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson
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.).
James Callahan
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
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
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.
Todd and Julie Chrisley
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
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.
Larry Hoover
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
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
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 Smith
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
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 Kernan and James Kernan
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.
