Trump Names Alice Johnson as "Pardon Czar" to Oversee Clemency Cases
In a significant move, former President Donald Trump has appointed Alice Marie Johnson as his "pardon czar," entrusting her with the responsibility of identifying individuals deserving of clemency. Johnson, a 69-year-old grandmother, gained national attention after receiving a commutation from Trump in 2018 and a full pardon in 2020 for nonviolent drug-related charges. Now, she will play a pivotal role in reviewing cases of those she believes have been unjustly sentenced.
The announcement came during a Black History Month event at the White House, where Trump praised Johnson for her resilience and advocacy. "You've been an inspiration to people, and we're going to be listening to your recommendations on pardons," Trump told her. "You're going to find people just like you that should not have been in prison."
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Johnson’s own story is a remarkable one. Convicted in 1996 for her role in a large-scale drug conspiracy, she was sentenced to life in prison plus 25 years. Despite her nonviolent involvement, strict sentencing laws of the time left her with no possibility of parole. Her case gained widespread attention when reality TV star Kim Kardashian West took up her cause, personally appealing to Trump for her release. The former president commuted her sentence in 2018, and two years later, granted her a full pardon.
Now, in her new role, Johnson will be working closely with the administration to identify individuals who may have been harshly sentenced under outdated laws. This appointment marks a shift in Trump’s clemency strategy, as he has often bypassed the traditional Justice Department vetting process in favor of personal recommendations.
So far in his second term, Trump has issued hundreds of pardons, including to individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol riot, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. With Johnson now leading the charge, many are watching to see how her personal experience with the justice system will shape her recommendations.
This move underscores Trump's ongoing commitment to criminal justice reform—an issue that has been central to his presidency. Whether Johnson's tenure as pardon czar will bring meaningful changes remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: her story has come full circle, from a prison cell to a position of power, where she now holds the fate of others in her hands.
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