PARDON PLEA
Wife of Chicago man caught in Russia probe takes page from Patti Blagojevich’s playbook, seeking clemency from Trump
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is picking up the pace when it comes to clemency, commuting Wednesday the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson after an appeal from reality show personality Kim Kardashian West. A few hours later she was freed.
Last week, Trump also dangled a commutation for imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. And now, the wife of Chicago’s George Papadopoulos has launched a media blitz to win a pardon before her husband is even sentenced for his role in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.
White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway told the Chicago Sun- Times on Wednesday that Trump will move on cases where he “feels” people have been treated “unfairly.”
“This president is now looking at cases, and if he could bring relief to, to folks who he feels have been, quote, treated unfairly … then he will take action,” Conway said.
Conway’s comments about Trump and clemency came at a reporters’ breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. The Sun- Times asked about Blagojevich, who has served more than six years of his 14- year sentence on federal corruption charges.
The conversation occurred a few hours before Trump commuted Johnson’s life sentence. Kardashian West took up Johnson’s freedom as a cause, visiting Trump in the Oval Office last week.
Earlier this spring, former Illinois first lady Patti Blagojevich made her own appeals to the president on Fox News. And it seemed to have worked — Trump said last week he’s thinking about cutting Blagojevich’s sentence short.
Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos now appears to be ripping a page out of Patti Blagojevich’s playbook, taking her case to the Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Monday and CNN’s “The Lead” on Wednesday.
“I trust and hope and ask President Trump to pardon him,” she told Fox. “I hope he will.”
She told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “George is loyal to the truth. He has been through a lot. He is loyal to his country. He believed in Trump and I believe in Trump. Having access to full information and awareness right now to know he deserves a pardon.”
George Papadopoulos’ attorneys declined to comment Wednesday. He had not formally applied for clemency as of last week, according to the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s website.
Conway said “the president has received a steady stream of appeals. And as for Blagojevich, she said, “I think the president made very clear that he thought the sentence was too harsh.”
But when asked how Blagojevich caught Trump’s attention, Conway said, “I can’t reveal that. I won’t reveal that, actually.”
“I think the important part is, what does the president think of each, on a case by case basis, which ones grab his attention and which ones will eventually come to reach the larger question about pardons?”
“That’s the province of the president,” Conway said. “Any president they can do that.”
Trump also pardoned conservative author Dinesh D’Souza last week without being asked. He has also floated the idea of a pardon for Martha Stewart.