President Donald Trump pardoned 15 people and commuted the sentences of an additional five people on Tuesday (December 22). The biggest name to receive a presidential pardon was former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos, who was convicted of making false statements to investigators during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference.
Alex van der Zwaan, who also pleaded guilty to lying to investigators, received a pardon as well.
Duncan Hunter, a former GOP congressman from California and a Trump ally, was also pardoned after pleading guilty to misusing campaign funds last December. Chris Collins, who was the first sitting Republican lawmaker to endorse President Trump, was pardoned after receiving 26 months in jail for securities fraud.
President Trump also pardoned four Blackwater guards who were convicted of killing 17 Iraqi civilians. One of the guards, Nicholas Slatten, was serving a life sentence when he was pardoned.
Two border patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, were also granted a pardon at the request of over 100 members of Congress. The two men were convicted after Ramos shot an illegal immigrant thought to be smuggling illegal drugs.
Trump also pardoned several people who were in federal prison for non-violent drug offenses, including Weldon Angelos, Otis Gordon, Tynice Nichole Hall, and Crystal Munoz.
Photo: Getty Images