Shutterstock
President Donald Trump may issue 50 to 100 commutations and pardons before he leaves office. Rapper Lil Wayne is expected to be on the list. However, it is unclear whether Trump will pardon himself and/or his family members.
President Donald Trump is expected to issue anywhere between 50 and 100 commutations and pardons, likely in one big batch on Tuesday or before he leaves office at noon on Wednesday, according to unidentified sources who spoke to Fox and CNN.
A name that is highly being speculated is that of Steve Bannon, 66, a former advisor to President Trump, as well as the architect of his 2016 campaign. Bannon was arrested last summer over fraud charges related to an online funding campaign known as “we build the wall,” which raised $25 million. Bannon was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Among the celebrities speculated to receive a pardon from President Trump is rapper Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter. Wayne pled guilty in December 2020 to illegally possessing a loaded, gold-plated .45-caliber handgun while traveling to Florida on a private jet in 2019. In addition, the contents of Wayne’s bag also included small amounts of cocaine, ecstasy and oxycodone, according to the U.S. attorney.
Dr. Salomon Melgen, a prominent eye doctor from Palm Beach, Florida, currently in prison following a conviction on dozens of counts of health care fraud could receive clemency. The corruption case against him and New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, who also was sentenced to 17 years for healthcare fraud in 2018, was dropped by the Justice Department in January 2018.
Trump’s closest advisors are allegedly urging him not to grant clemency to anyone involved in the siege on the US capitol. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) also urged Trump not to pardon the capitol rioters, saying, “To seek a pardon of these people would be wrong.”
Among the high profile people speculated to be unlikely to receive pardons are WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The Justice Department during the Obama administration filed 18 charges against Assange, which carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison, including conspiring to breach government computers and violating the espionage act.
The name of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has not come up and is assumed not to be under consideration for a pardon.
Reportedly, Trump has been cautioned against pardoning himself by advisors as it would appear as if he were guilty of something. The president’s aides believe it is unlikely that Trump will pardon himself.
