Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday granted clemency to 20 people, among them two convicted by the Russian plot — three former Republican congressmen involved in acts of corruption.
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Trump also granted clemency to four contractors from the private military company Blackwater involved in the killing of 14 civilians in Iraq in 2007. One of them, Nicholas Slatten, was serving a life sentence.
The highest profile forgiveness is that of George Papadopoulos, Who was an adviser on foreign affairs for the Trump campaign in 2016 and who he pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents as part of the investigation into the Russian plot led by Robert Mueller.
The outgoing president also forgave Alex van der Zwaan, A lawyer who pleaded guilty to the same charges as Papadopoulos.
Papadopoulos served 12 days in prison and Van der Zwaan 30.
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The three pardoned former Republican congressmen are Duncan Hunter of California, Chris Collins of New York and Steve Stockman of Texas.
Stockman was serving a 10-year prison sentence for money laundering, Collins a 26-month one for stock fraud and Hunter was set to go to jail soon to serve 11 months for embezzlement of campaign funds.
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Days ago, Trump forgave his former National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Kremlin.
There had been rumors for days about a package of Christmas pardons by Trump, Who will have to leave power on January 20.
In fact, pardons are an indicator that while Trump has not acknowledged his defeat in the November election to Democrat Joe Biden, he is aware that he will have to step down from power.
Among those pardoned, however, is none of Trump’s closest collaborators at the moment, Like his relatives or his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as had also been rumored.
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EFE