- President Donald Trump has pardoned Steve Bannon, Lil Wayne and commuted the sentence of Kodak Black.
- The president will fly to his home in Florida on Wednesday, skipping President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
- A total of 73 people were pardoned while 70 commutations were granted.
President Donald Trump pardoned 73 people on Wednesday, including his former aide Steve Bannon, as well as rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.
Trump will reportedly fly to his home in Florida and skip the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday, but has made a few last moves as President of the United States.
Trump granted clemency to Steve Bannon, having been charged with defrauding people over funds raised to build the Mexico border wall that was a flagship Trump policy, reports AFP, while Lil Wayne received a pardon after pleading guilty to a firearms charge in December.
This, after the rapper seemingly endorsed the president on Twitter, days before the 2020 election.
Just had a great meeting with @realdonaldtrump @potus besides what he’s done so far with criminal reform, the platinum plan is going to give the community real ownership. He listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done. ???? pic.twitter.com/Q9c5k1yMWf
— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) October 29, 2020
According to CNN, Kodak Black was one of 70 commutations issued by the president - he was in his prison cell as Trump pardoned him. The rapper's sentence stems from an arrest in 2019 for indicating on paper that he was not under indictment while trying to purchase firearms. At the time, however, he was out on bond for sexual assault charges, reports Pitchfork.
In March 2020, he pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after he was arrested at the border between the US and Canada.
Trump also commuted the sentence of Michael "Harry-O" Harris, co-founder of Death Row Records, who has thus far served 30 years of a 25-to-life sentence for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, the publication says.
