This week, the unthinkable happened. It was, presumably, a day many respected and experienced White House political correspondents never thought (nor hoped) they’d see.
Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Kim Kardashian met with US President Donald Trump in the White House’s Oval Office to discuss prison reform.
Just a day after their meeting, it looked like Trump might have picked up what the 37-year-old entrepreneur was putting down. The 71-year-old announced he would be pardoning a prisoner who was “very unfairly by the government”.
Only, he’s pardoning the wrong one, at least in Kardashian’s eyes.
Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing. pic.twitter.com/uOy4UJ41JF
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
In a tweet, Trump said he would be using his Presidential powers to pardon conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza. D’Souza’s crime was arranging illegal campaign donations for a Republican’s unsuccessful senate campaign in 2012.
The former The Apprentice star also told reporters he’s considering pardoning Martha Stewart, who served five months in prison after her 2004 federal conviction for obstruction of justice, making false statements and conspiracy for lying to investigators, CNN reports.
Coincidentally, both appeared on or worked with Trump on The Apprentice series, according to AAP. Trump has also pardoned other notable conservatives, prompting accusations of abuse of power.
Last August, he pardoned former Arizona lawman and political ally Joe Arpaio less than a month after he was convicted of criminal contempt in a case involving racial profiling of Hispanics. In April, it was Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who was chief of staff to former vice president Dick Cheney and was convicted in 2007 of lying in an investigation into the unmasking of a CIA agent.
Meanwhile, there’s no word yet on the fates of the woman Kardashian actually went to the White House to advocate for.
That woman is Alice Marie Johnson, a 69-year-old great-grandmother serving a life sentence without parole for a first-time, non-violent drug offence.
She has been behind bars since 1996 and is not eligible for parole, because there’s no such thing in the federal system. She was convicted on eight criminal counts relating to a cocaine trafficking operation involving more than a dozen people.
I would like to thank President Trump for his time this afternoon. It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms. Alice Marie Johnson who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 31, 2018
