Most Trump clemency grants bypass Justice Dept. and go to well-connected offenders

Two days after President Trump freed a great-grandmother sentenced to life in prison, he praised the reality-television star and social influencer who had championed the woman’s release.

“Kim Kardashian was great because she brought Alice to my attention,” Trump said in 2018 of Alice Marie Johnson, who had served nearly 22 years for first-time, nonviolent drug-trafficking crimes.

Johnson’s image reappeared Sunday during the Super Bowl in an ad run by Trump’s reelection campaign touting his record on criminal justice. Continue reading.