President Donald Trump has issued pardons to a number of his supporters, most notably former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos and Representatives Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter.
Papadopoulos was among the first to be criminally charged in Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in connection to lying to officials over his contact with the Russian government while working as a Trump campaign adviser.
Papadopoulos was sentenced to 14 days in prison.
The Trump administration claims that the pardon “correct the wrong that Mueller’s team inflicted on so many people.”
Collins resigned his seat in Congress last year after he pleaded guilty to insider trading and lying to law enforcement. He was serving a 26-month sentence.
Hunter was set to go to prison next month after he pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds. Hunter was to serve an 11-month sentence.
Alex van der Zwaan, who was sentenced for 30 days for lying to federal authorities, was among those pardoned. He was the first person convicted from Mueller's investigation.
Also among the pardons were Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard. According to reports, the four men were convicted in killing 14 civilians in Baghdad during the war in Iraq. Slatten faced a life sentence, while the other three were handed 30-year sentences for the deaths.
In all, Trump issued 15 full pardons and commuted all or part of five additional people.
