Trump pardons mate, rappers but not Assange

JUST hours before he was officially removed from office last night, now-former US President Donald Trump issued 73 pardons and 70 commutations.

Those granted clemency included former White House strategist Steve Bannon, rapper Lil Wayne, rapper Kodak Black, the Trump Organisation’s longtime chief financial officer Elliott Broidy and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Lil Wayne, a Trump supporter, pleaded guilty in December to a federal weapons charge after he carried a handgun from California to Florida on his private jet. He is barred under federal law from possessing firearms due to past convictions.

Mr Bannon, the former White House chief strategist charged with defrauding political donors, was also granted clemency.

White House officials said the pardon was a pre-emptive move that would effectively wipe away the charges against Mr Bannon, should he be convicted.

He was arrested in August by federal prosecutors in Manhattan on charges related to the money raised to promote the construction of Mr Trump’s proposed wall on the US-Mexico border.

Mr Broidy, a top fundraiser for Mr Trump and the Republican

Party, pleaded guilty in October to conspiring to violate foreign lobbying laws.

Kodak Black was sentenced to 46 months in prison on federal weapons charges in 2019.

Joseph Maldonado-Passage — otherwise known as Tiger King Joe Exotic — expected to be pardoned but that had not been confirmed last night. Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange did not make the cut for a pardon.