First modification: 23/12/2020 – 22:53
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The US president granted full pardons to 15 people and commuted all or part of the sentences of five others. Among those pardoned is George Papadopoulos, a former adviser involved in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
With less than a month to go until his final departure from the White House, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, pardoned 15 people. On the list are several involved in the process known as the ‘Russian plot’ or ‘Russiagate’, a scandal related to Russia’s interference in the presidential elections that finally gave the magnate victory four years ago.
George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser in 2016, appears in the group of pardons. The 33-year-old strategist pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about contacts with people who claimed to have ties to senior Russian officials.
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“The defendant’s crime was serious and damaged the government’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections,” United States special counsel Robert Mueller said at the time, referring to Papadopoulos, who served 12 days, of a sentence of 14, in a federal prison. Then he was released.
“Today’s forgiveness helps correct the evil that Mueller’s team inflicted on so many people,” the White House said.
A billionaire and four contractors charged with murder
Trump granted full pardons to 15 people and commuted all or part of the sentences of another five, for a total of 20 beneficiaries.
Among those pardoned is Alex van der Zwaan, 36. He is a Dutch son-in-law of Russian billionaire German Khan. Zwaan was sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $ 20,000 for lying to investigators for U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller about his contacts with an official in the Trump campaign in 2016.
Also making the list are four former members of private security services: Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard, who were convicted of killing Iraqi civilians while working as contractors in 2007.
Nicholas Slatten, pardoned by Trump was convicted for life for his role in the killing of 14 Iraqi civilians including 10 men 2 women 2 boys. Slatten was the first to fire killing Ahmed al Rubia’y an aspiring doctor who was driving his mother to an appointment per @TheJusticeDept pic.twitter.com/MwR4Zl0tiC
– Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM) December 23, 2020
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The pardons are part of a series of actions the outgoing Republican president has taken before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on January 20.
Last November, Trump pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had also pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the same investigation. Flynn’s pardon drew backlash from Democrats.
The three ex-Republican legislators pardoned
One of them is former Representative Chris Collins from New York. At 70, he was the first sitting congressman to endorse Trump’s candidacy in 2016. He was also a strong supporter of the president. He won reelection in 2018 but resigned the following year.
“In 2019, Collins pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and make false statements to the FBI. Collins is currently serving his 26-month sentence,” the White House stated.
Trump granted a full clemency to former California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, 44, who pleaded guilty a year ago to charges of conspiracy to extract campaign funds for personal use. A serious crime that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Among those receiving pardons are George Papadopoulos, former Republican congressmen Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins, and four former Blackwater Worldwide military contractors responsible for the shooting deaths of 14 Iraqis in 2007. https://t.co/whF6KXfJ3N
— ABC News (@ABC) December 23, 2020
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In addition, the president commuted the remaining prison term of former Republican Representative Steve Stockman of Texas, who was convicted, in 2018, of embezzlement of charitable funds. The White House said he had served more than two years of his 10-year sentence, and that he would remain subject to a period of supervised release plus an order requiring him to pay more than $ 1 million in restitution.
Trump also commuted the remaining time frame for the supervised release of Crystal Munoz, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Muñoz spent years in federal prison in Fort Worth, along with Alice Johnson, who was granted clemency by Trump in 2018 in a case defended by social media star Kim Kardashian.
With France 24, Reuters and AFP
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