Daily US Times: In final acts of clemency, Donald Trump has pardoned his former adviser Steve Bannon, who is facing fraud charges.
The announcement came just hours before Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Donald Trump also granted clemency to more than 140 others in his final hours in office.
A pardon was announced for former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, rapper Lil Wayne and commutations for rapper Kodak Black.
In all, 73 individuals received presidential pardons and another 70 had their sentences commuted, a White House statement said.
Mr Bannon, who was a key strategist and adviser to President Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign, was charged in August last year with fraud charges over a fundraising campaign to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
Prosecutors said Steve Bannon and three others defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with the “We Build the Wall” campaign which raised $25m (£18m).
It was alleged the former Trump adviser received more than $1m, at least some of which he used to cover personal expenses. Mr Bannon denies the charges and has yet to stand trial.
Mr Bannon had been “an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen”, the White House statement said.
The statement added that prosecutors had “pursued” him with charges “related to fraud stemming from his involvement in a political project”.
Kodak Black and Lil Wayne have both been prosecuted on weapons charges while Kwame Kilpatrick is serving a 28-year prison term on corruption charges.
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