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Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon exits the Manhattan Federal Court on August 20, 2020 in the Manhattan borough of New York City. (Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
'Even Nixon Didn't Pardon His Cronies on the Way Out': Trump Grants Clemency to Bannon on Final Day of Presidency
"Amazingly, in his final 24 hours in office, Donald Trump found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon."
Jan 19, 2021
In one of the final acts of his destructive and corrupt presidency, Donald Trump early Wednesday pardoned his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, a pair of scandal-plagued former Republican lawmakers, disgraced GOP fundraiser and megadonor Elliott Broidy, and other white-collar criminals with political connections.
"Even Nixon didn't pardon his cronies on the way out," Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said in a statement. "Amazingly, in his final 24 hours in office, Donald Trump found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon."
The outgoing president's latest list of pardons and commutations also included a number of nonviolent drug offenders, but Trump has largely used his clemency power to assist his political allies--when he has used it at all. According to the Pew Research Center, Trump has wielded his pardon authority less than any other president in modern U.S. history.
"They all had something Trump wanted or benefited him in some kind of way," Nichole Forde, a 40-year-old woman serving a 27-year sentence for nonviolent drug crimes, told the Washington Post in an email from federal prison in Pekin, Illinois. "I am not part of the Trump elite."
In a statement accompanying the list of people receiving clemency from Trump on his way out the door, the White House characterized Bannon, the former executive chairman of far-right outlet Breitbart News, as "an important leader in the conservative movement" who is "known for his political acumen."
Last August, Bannon was arrested and charged with defrauding hundreds of thousands of people, many of them Trump supporters, who donated to an online anti-immigrant crowdfunding campaign called "We Build the Wall."
More than a dozen other individuals included in Trump's last-minute flurry of pardons and commutations were convicted of some kind of fraud. As the Post reported, one commutation "went to Sholam Weiss, 66, who was serving an 835-year prison sentence stemming from his 2000 conviction in Florida for racketeering, wire fraud, and money fraud related to his role in the collapse of the National Heritage Life Insurance Company."
"Weiss' sentence was believed to be the longest ever given to a defendant convicted of white-collar crime," the Post noted.
Other names on the list include former Republican Rep. Duke Cunningham of California--who served eight years in prison for tax evasion, conspiracy to commit bribery, and other charges--and Salomon Melgen, who in 2017 was convicted of a total of 67 crimes for his role in a scheme to steal $73 million from Medicare by exploiting elderly patients.
Trump granted a conditional pardon to Cunningham and commuted Melgen's 17-year sentence.
"I guess it helps to have friends in high places," remarked Bloomberg reporter Steven Dennis.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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In one of the final acts of his destructive and corrupt presidency, Donald Trump early Wednesday pardoned his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, a pair of scandal-plagued former Republican lawmakers, disgraced GOP fundraiser and megadonor Elliott Broidy, and other white-collar criminals with political connections.
"Even Nixon didn't pardon his cronies on the way out," Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said in a statement. "Amazingly, in his final 24 hours in office, Donald Trump found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon."
The outgoing president's latest list of pardons and commutations also included a number of nonviolent drug offenders, but Trump has largely used his clemency power to assist his political allies--when he has used it at all. According to the Pew Research Center, Trump has wielded his pardon authority less than any other president in modern U.S. history.
"They all had something Trump wanted or benefited him in some kind of way," Nichole Forde, a 40-year-old woman serving a 27-year sentence for nonviolent drug crimes, told the Washington Post in an email from federal prison in Pekin, Illinois. "I am not part of the Trump elite."
In a statement accompanying the list of people receiving clemency from Trump on his way out the door, the White House characterized Bannon, the former executive chairman of far-right outlet Breitbart News, as "an important leader in the conservative movement" who is "known for his political acumen."
Last August, Bannon was arrested and charged with defrauding hundreds of thousands of people, many of them Trump supporters, who donated to an online anti-immigrant crowdfunding campaign called "We Build the Wall."
More than a dozen other individuals included in Trump's last-minute flurry of pardons and commutations were convicted of some kind of fraud. As the Post reported, one commutation "went to Sholam Weiss, 66, who was serving an 835-year prison sentence stemming from his 2000 conviction in Florida for racketeering, wire fraud, and money fraud related to his role in the collapse of the National Heritage Life Insurance Company."
"Weiss' sentence was believed to be the longest ever given to a defendant convicted of white-collar crime," the Post noted.
Other names on the list include former Republican Rep. Duke Cunningham of California--who served eight years in prison for tax evasion, conspiracy to commit bribery, and other charges--and Salomon Melgen, who in 2017 was convicted of a total of 67 crimes for his role in a scheme to steal $73 million from Medicare by exploiting elderly patients.
Trump granted a conditional pardon to Cunningham and commuted Melgen's 17-year sentence.
"I guess it helps to have friends in high places," remarked Bloomberg reporter Steven Dennis.
In one of the final acts of his destructive and corrupt presidency, Donald Trump early Wednesday pardoned his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, a pair of scandal-plagued former Republican lawmakers, disgraced GOP fundraiser and megadonor Elliott Broidy, and other white-collar criminals with political connections.
"Even Nixon didn't pardon his cronies on the way out," Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said in a statement. "Amazingly, in his final 24 hours in office, Donald Trump found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon."
The outgoing president's latest list of pardons and commutations also included a number of nonviolent drug offenders, but Trump has largely used his clemency power to assist his political allies--when he has used it at all. According to the Pew Research Center, Trump has wielded his pardon authority less than any other president in modern U.S. history.
"They all had something Trump wanted or benefited him in some kind of way," Nichole Forde, a 40-year-old woman serving a 27-year sentence for nonviolent drug crimes, told the Washington Post in an email from federal prison in Pekin, Illinois. "I am not part of the Trump elite."
In a statement accompanying the list of people receiving clemency from Trump on his way out the door, the White House characterized Bannon, the former executive chairman of far-right outlet Breitbart News, as "an important leader in the conservative movement" who is "known for his political acumen."
Last August, Bannon was arrested and charged with defrauding hundreds of thousands of people, many of them Trump supporters, who donated to an online anti-immigrant crowdfunding campaign called "We Build the Wall."
More than a dozen other individuals included in Trump's last-minute flurry of pardons and commutations were convicted of some kind of fraud. As the Post reported, one commutation "went to Sholam Weiss, 66, who was serving an 835-year prison sentence stemming from his 2000 conviction in Florida for racketeering, wire fraud, and money fraud related to his role in the collapse of the National Heritage Life Insurance Company."
"Weiss' sentence was believed to be the longest ever given to a defendant convicted of white-collar crime," the Post noted.
Other names on the list include former Republican Rep. Duke Cunningham of California--who served eight years in prison for tax evasion, conspiracy to commit bribery, and other charges--and Salomon Melgen, who in 2017 was convicted of a total of 67 crimes for his role in a scheme to steal $73 million from Medicare by exploiting elderly patients.
Trump granted a conditional pardon to Cunningham and commuted Melgen's 17-year sentence.
"I guess it helps to have friends in high places," remarked Bloomberg reporter Steven Dennis.
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