These pardons are intended “for people who have demonstrated their commitment to rehabilitation and who strive every day to give back and contribute” to society, he added.
In the case of Abraham Bolden
One of those pardoned, Abraham Bolden, 86, is a former member of the “Secret Service”, the American agency for the protection of state personalities, and who was the first African-American to protect a president, during of John F. Kennedy’s term from 1961 to 1963. He had been accused of trying to sell a copy of a Secret Service file, and had been convicted after two trials. The White House, however, says key witnesses later admitted to lying.
Abraham Bolden has always maintained his innocence and says he was targeted “as retaliation for exposing unprofessional and racist behavior within the US Secret Service,” the White House said in the statement. After his release from prison, Mr. Bolden received several awards for his activism and for his contributions to society, adds the White House.
The other two amnesties concern a man and a woman sentenced for offenses related to narcotics.
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