Trump to Grant Full Pardon to Political Activist Dinesh D’Souza
President Donald Trump said Thursday he will grant a full pardon to conservative commentator Dinesh D’souza, who was sentenced in 2014 to five years of probation for federal campaign law violations.
“Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D’Souza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!” Trump said on Twitter.
D’Souza, 53, admitted in May 2014 that he illegally reimbursed two “straw donors” who donated $10,000 each to the unsuccessful 2012 U.S. Senate campaign in New York of Wendy Long, a Republican he had known since attending Dartmouth College in the early 1980s.
USA Today reported D’Souza previously served eight months in a halfway house for the felony crime and was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine.
Soon after pleading guilty, D’Souza claimed he was targeted by the Obama administration for political reasons, thehill.com reported.
“The Obama administration tried to shut me up,” he said in his 2016 film, Hillary’s America. “If you make a film criticizing the most powerful man in the world, expect the empire to strike back.”
D’Souza’s clemency would mark the fifth full pardon issued by Trump during his 17 months in office, thehill.com reported. Through his films, D’Souza promoted the unfounded idea that Barack Obama was born outside the U.S. and therefore was ineligible to serve as president. He has targeted liberal leaders throughout his film work and his books.
The Hill.com reported some officials, including Texas Senator Cruz, “cheered” Trump’s decision. “Bravo! This is justice,” Cruz tweeted.
Some reporting done by Reuters.
