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President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, along with over a dozen other people, including several former congressmen who have long been Republican allies of the president.
The White House in a statement said that Trump was granting full pardons to 15 people, and commuted part or all of the sentences of five others. Among those granted clemency were former Republican Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Chris Collins of New York and four ex-Blackwater contractors convicted of killing Iraqi civilians.
Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in prison this past March for misusing campaign funds. Hunter pleaded guilty in December 2019 to a corruption charge after prosecutors said he and his wife “converted and stole” more than a quarter-million dollars in campaign funds for their own use over a period of several years.
Collins, who was the first sitting member of Congress to endorse Trump for president, pleaded guilty in October 2019 to charges related to insider trading. He sentenced in January to 26 months in federal prison.
Papadopoulos is best known for playing a key role in the lengthy investigation into Russian election interference. A foreign policy adviser on Trump’s 2016 campaign, Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat while they were having drinks at a London wine bar that he’d heard Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Trump’s rival, Hillary Clinton.
He was sentenced to 14 days in a federal lockup and one year of supervised release in September of 2018 for lying to investigators. After his release from jail, he wrote a book called, “Deep State Target: How I Got Caught in the Crosshairs of the Plot to Bring Down President Trump” and ran a failed campaign for Congress.
Trump has also discussed pardoning members of his family and other associates, including Rudy Giuliani, multiple sources familiar with the matter told NBC News earlier this month. None of those names were included on Tuesday’s roster.
The full list of pardons and commutations:
- Alfonso Costa — Dr. Costa, a dentist from Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud related to false billing. He served two years of probation and paid nearly $300,000 in fines and restitution. Trump granted him a full pardon.
- Alfred Lee Crum — Crum pleaded guilty in 1952, at age 19, to helping his wife’s uncle illegally distill moonshine in Oklahoma. He served three years of probation and paid a $250 fine. Trump granted him a full pardon.
- Crystal Munoz — Munoz, working in a marijuana smuggling ring, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Trump previously commuted Munoz’s sentence of incarceration after she had served 12 years in prison. Trump on Tuesday commuted the remainder of her supervised release.
- Tynice Nichole Hall — Hall was sentenced to 18 yearsfor allowing her apartment to be used to distribute drugs. Trump previously commuted her term of incarceration after she had served nearly 14 years of the 18-year sentence. Trump on Tuesday commuted the remainder of her supervised release.
- Judith Negron — Negron was sentenced to 35 years for her role as a minority owner of a healthcare company engaged in a scheme to defraud the government. Trump previously commuted her sentence after she served eight years of her sentence. Trump on Tuesday commuted the remainder of her supervised release.
- Steve Stockman — Stockman, a former Texas GOP House member, was convicted in 2018 of misuse of charitable funds. Mr. Stockman has served more than two years of his 10-year sentence. Trump commuted his sentence on Tuesday.
- Duncan Hunter — Hunter pleaded guilty to one count of misusing campaign funds and sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment, which was slated to begin in January 2021. Trump granted him a full pardon.
- Chris Collins — Collins pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiring to commit securities fraud and making false statements to the FBI. He was sentenced to 26 months in prison. Trump granted him a full pardon.
- Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean — Ramos and Compean, former Border Patrol agents, were convicted of shooting and killing an undocumented immigrant and drug smuggler at the southern border in 2006. They were sentenced to 11 and 12 years imprisonment, respectively. President George W. Bush previously commuted their sentences. Trump granted them full pardons.
- George Papadopoulos — Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign aide, was charged with lying to investigators in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Trump granted him a full pardon.
- Alex van der Zwaan — Van der Zwaan, a London-based lawyer and the first person sentenced in the Russia probe, was charged with lying to investigators. Trump granted him a full pardon.
- Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard — Slatten, Slough, Liberty and Heard are former Blackwater employees who were sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of murder in connection with the 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians at Nisur Square in Iraq. Trump granted them a full pardon.
- Weldon Angelos — Angelos was sentenced in 2002 to 55 years in prison for selling marijuana and carrying a handgun in the course of dealing. Angelos was eventually released by judicial order after serving 13 years in prison. Trump granted him a full pardon.
- Philip Lyman — Lymas was arrested and sentenced to 10 days in prison and issued a $96,000 fine for protesting the Bureau of Land Management’s closure of the Recapture Canyon to ATV riders. Trump granted him a full pardon.
- Otis Gordon — Gordon was convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Trump granted him a full pardon.
- Philip Esformes — Esformes was convicted of prosecutorial misconduct related to violating attorney-client privilege. Trump commuted his sentence.
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