Donald Trump to pardon conservative pundit Dinesh D’Souza for campaign finance violations
This marks the latest instance of the US president’s deviating from the normal pardon process and could precede a pardon for TV personality Martha Stewart and a commuted sentence for ex-Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich
US President Donald Trump has said he would offer a full pardon to conservative pundit Dinesh D’Souza, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to violating federal campaign finance laws but later said he was targeted for his conservative views.
“Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D’Souza today,” Trump wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “He was treated very unfairly by our government!”
Trump also said he was considering commuting the sentence of ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and pardoning Martha Stewart.
The Democratic former governor began serving his 14-year prison sentence on corruption convictions in 2012. His scheduled release date is 2024. Blagojevich was also a contestant on Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice reality television show in 2010.
Stewart, the businesswoman famous for her lifestyle brand, served a five-month prison sentence and five months of house arrest for lying to federal investigators about a stock sale. Stewart had an Apprentice spinoff show.
Trump said she “used to be one of my biggest fans”.