Donald Trump issued a full pardon to former media baron Conrad Black. He was convicted of obstructing justice & media in 2007.
US President describes Black as his friend. He spent more than 3-years behind the bars in Florida. He was found guilty in multimillion-dollar fraud at Hollinger International. Notably, the US Supreme Court struck down his many convictions. Thus, it helped him in a reduced sentence.
Not just that, Trump also pardoned a former Republican legislator Patrick Nolan. An FBI sting operation found him convict of corruption charges. He pleaded guilty and US President pardoned him. Later on, he became a leading advocate for criminal justice reform.
Last year, Conrad Black published a flattering book especially dedicated to Donald Trump. Name of the book was “Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other”. The book included all praise for Trump.
On Wednesday, the White House stated Black made “tremendous contributions to business, as well as to political and historical thought.”
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The same day, Black called his legal ordeal “nonsense”. He added, “There was never a word of truth to any of it. And now it is over, after 16 years, including three years and two weeks in U.S. federal prisons.”
In 1990, Order of Canada appointed him but in 2001, he renounced his Canadian citizenship in order to become a British Lord.
In 2011, due to his criminal charges, Rideau Hall began reviewing his position. Consequently, Governor General David Johnston removed him from the order in 2014.
From 2012 onwards Conrad Black has been living in Toronto.
Black said he has not spoken to Trump since he took office. He also said he thought the call he got Wednesday from the White House might have been a prank, but that he recognized Trump’s voice.
Also, Conrad Black said, “He could not have been more gracious and quickly got to his point, that he was granting me a full pardon.”
