During his final hours as president, Donald Trump pardoned 73 people and commuted the sentences of another 70 people, including rapper Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.
The White House announced that Trump granted a full pardon to Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., who was facing up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon in December 2019. Carter had previously endorsed Trump in October.
“Mr. Carter has exhibited this generosity through commitment to a variety of charities, including donations to research hospitals and a host of food banks,” the White House statement read. “Deion Sanders, who also wrote in support of this pardon, calls Mr. Wayne ‘a provider for his family, a friend to many, a man of faith, a natural giver to the less fortunate, a waymaker, [and] a game changer.'”
The former President also granted a commutation to Kodak Black, whose legal name is Bill Kapri. according to The New York Times, Kapri was sentenced to 46 months in prison for “making a false statement on a federal documents” in the process of falsifying forms to purchase firearms. He had already served half of his sentence.
The White House stated that the rapper’s “numerous philanthropic efforts,” including a $50,000 donation to David Portnoy’s Barstool Fund, which helps small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, led to his commutation.
Also featured on Trump’s list to be pardoned and commutated are former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
