Trump grants clemency to 30 people, White House pardon czar says

U.S. President Donald Trump granted clemency this week to 30 people, including Emory Jones, a longtime associate of rap mogul Jay-Z, White House "pardon czar" Alice Marie Johnson posted on Friday.

• Jones served nearly 16 years in federal prison on drug charges, Johnson wrote in a social media post announcing the clemency actions.

• The president took the action on Thursday, according to Johnson, the White House official responsible for organizing clemency efforts.

• Jones was released in 2010 after Jay-Z wrote a letter to a judge on his behalf, seeking a sentence reduction.

• Jones has worked as an executive at Jay-Z's Roc Nation entertainment company and co-founded the Paper Planes clothing brand.

• The New York Times reported that other clemency recipients include a former Philadelphia union boss convicted of bribery and an ex-Navy sailor imprisoned for firearms offenses.

• Trump has granted pardons of criminal convictions and commutations shortening sentences for more than 1,700 people since his second White House term began in January 2025.

Reuters

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