Donald Trump is going out like he came in: corrupt as hell.
The departing president left the White House for Mar-a-Lago at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, slinking out after a disastrous and deadly four years. One of his last acts on the job was granting a flurry of pardons and commutations (nearly 150 in all), many of them to his white-collar cronies. The last-minute pardon spree had long been expected, and wasn’t at all out of character for a president who routinely abused his ability to unilaterally absolve allies of federal crimes.
The departing president left the White House for Mar-a-Lago at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, slinking out after a disastrous and deadly four years. One of his last acts on the job was granting a flurry of pardons and commutations (nearly 150 in all), many of them to his white-collar cronies. The last-minute pardon spree had long been expected, and wasn’t at all out of character for a president who routinely abused his ability to unilaterally absolve allies of federal crimes.
- 1/20/2021
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Donald Trump granted pardons to rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black on Tuesday night as part of a last-minute spree that saw Trump issue clemency to many political allies on his final full day in office.
Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty on a federal weapons charge last year and received a full pardon. Kodak Black, whose real name is Bill Kapri, received a commutation after being charged in 2019 with falsifying information on federal forms to buy firearms.
Bradford Cohen, the attorney for both rappers, confirmed to...
Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty on a federal weapons charge last year and received a full pardon. Kodak Black, whose real name is Bill Kapri, received a commutation after being charged in 2019 with falsifying information on federal forms to buy firearms.
Bradford Cohen, the attorney for both rappers, confirmed to...
- 1/20/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Update, 9:55 Pm: The White House has confirmed that Steven Bannon has been pardoned by Donald Trump.
“President Trump granted a full pardon to Stephen Bannon,” said the official announcement tonight. “Prosecutors pursued Mr. Bannon with charges related to fraud stemming from his involvement in a political project. Mr. Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen.”
Overall, 73 individuals were granted pardons in the last hours of the Trump administration. Another 70 individuals saw their sentences commuted. (See the full list below.)
Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black were also among those that made the cut, so to speak. Yet, despite a hard-core effort for a pardon from Trump,, Tiger King star Joe Exotic was not one of the lucky ones. Trump and members of his family and former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani were not on...
“President Trump granted a full pardon to Stephen Bannon,” said the official announcement tonight. “Prosecutors pursued Mr. Bannon with charges related to fraud stemming from his involvement in a political project. Mr. Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen.”
Overall, 73 individuals were granted pardons in the last hours of the Trump administration. Another 70 individuals saw their sentences commuted. (See the full list below.)
Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black were also among those that made the cut, so to speak. Yet, despite a hard-core effort for a pardon from Trump,, Tiger King star Joe Exotic was not one of the lucky ones. Trump and members of his family and former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani were not on...
- 1/20/2021
- by Dominic Patten and Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Apa has signed Devon Shepard, the current showrunner and executive producer of Will Packer’s Bigger on Bet.
Shepard’s other recent credits include serving as co-executive producer on The Neighborhood, serving as showrunner on Comedy Central’s Legends of Chamberlain Heights, as well as Bet’s Being Mary Jane starring Gabrielle Union.
His resume also includes TV Land’s The Soul Man, Showtime’s House of Lies, as well as Weeds, Everybody Hates Chris, and MadTV. Shepard recently launched his own production banner, Running with Scissors, headed by George Gore and Matt Ochacher, which is currently developing the Aaron Gunner series Fear of the Dark written by Gar Anthony Haywood that centers on a black private investigator in Compton. The Kwame Kilpatrick story about Detroit’s beloved mayor who’s currently serving a lengthy prison sentence due to corruption as a limited series at Bet as well as the...
Shepard’s other recent credits include serving as co-executive producer on The Neighborhood, serving as showrunner on Comedy Central’s Legends of Chamberlain Heights, as well as Bet’s Being Mary Jane starring Gabrielle Union.
His resume also includes TV Land’s The Soul Man, Showtime’s House of Lies, as well as Weeds, Everybody Hates Chris, and MadTV. Shepard recently launched his own production banner, Running with Scissors, headed by George Gore and Matt Ochacher, which is currently developing the Aaron Gunner series Fear of the Dark written by Gar Anthony Haywood that centers on a black private investigator in Compton. The Kwame Kilpatrick story about Detroit’s beloved mayor who’s currently serving a lengthy prison sentence due to corruption as a limited series at Bet as well as the...
- 3/4/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
As House Republicans tried this week (and then backed down in the face of public outrage) to weaken the nonpartisan office in charge of investigating lawmaker and staff misconduct, People took a look back at some of the most eyebrow-raising ways public and campaign funds have been used by politicians.
When official spending takes a turn for the personal—and, sometimes, downright weird—it’s not always illegal. But, even it doesn’t lead to jail time, it can ruin careers.
1. Flights for a family rabbit.
When traveling on the campaign trail, sometimes you need to bring the whole family along with you.
When official spending takes a turn for the personal—and, sometimes, downright weird—it’s not always illegal. But, even it doesn’t lead to jail time, it can ruin careers.
1. Flights for a family rabbit.
When traveling on the campaign trail, sometimes you need to bring the whole family along with you.
- 1/5/2017
- by dianapearltimeinc
- PEOPLE.com
In 2014, via their JuVee Productions, Viola Davis and producing partner (and hubby) Julius Tennon announced that they have teamed up with producer Debra Martin Chase (via her Martin Chase Prods.), to bring a new courtroom drama to ABC, which was to center on a powerful female attorney; although this one wasn't to star Davis. She would just producing. The legal drama is inspired by the life of Kym Worthy, the current prosecutor of Wayne County, Detroit, Michigan, who happens to be only the second African American to serve in that position. Worthy's notoriety grew when she filed charges against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in 2008, although that's just one of many...
- 3/23/2016
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Via their JuVee Productions, Viola Davis, her producing partner Julius Tennon, and producer Debra Martin Chase (via her Martin Chase Prods.), have teamed up to bring a new courtroom drama to ABC, which will center on a powerful female attorney, although this one won't star Davis. She's just producing. The legal drama is inspired by the life of Kym Worthy, the current prosecutor of Wayne County, Detroit, Michigan, who happens to be only the second black African American to serve in that position. Worthy's notoriety grew when she filed charges against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, in 2008, although that's just one of many cases her office has been involved in....
- 11/25/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
TV One’s popular docu-series Celebrity Crime Files, returns with bigger celebrities and bigger crimes, starting on Monday, August 5, 9pm Et, with a 12-episode season planned. Expected cases include: Michael Jackson, The Notorious B.I.G., Bumpy Johnson, John Whitehead, Scott Larock, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, Mac Dre, Lorenzen Wright, Magnolia Shorty, Lyman Bostock, Mike Winans, and Kwame Kilpatrick. The full details via press release below: July 16, 2013, Silver Spring, MD – After a critically acclaimed season one, the investigative docu-series Celebrity Crime Files returns Monday, August 5, at 9 Pm/Et for a second season. Probing into some of the most...
- 7/16/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Former mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick has been convicted of 24 out of 30 federal charges against him, including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, mail and wire fraud, and multiple counts of extortion.
Kilpatrick's alleged co-conspirator, Bobby Ferguson was also found guilty on multiple counts. The ex-mayor's father, Bernard Kilpatrick, was found guilty on one tax-related charge. The case brought by federal prosecutors was the result of a corruption probe of Detroit City Hall that lasted for years.
Prosecutors claim Mayor Kilpatrick, who resigned amidst the probe after holding office from 2002 to 2008, ran a criminal empire out of the mayor's office. To date, the investigation has resulted in convictions of two dozen people, according to CNN.
Kilpatrick faces up to 20 years in prison for the racketeering charges. In 2008 he plead guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice, involving attempts to cover up an extramarital affair. The former mayor also plead no contest...
Kilpatrick's alleged co-conspirator, Bobby Ferguson was also found guilty on multiple counts. The ex-mayor's father, Bernard Kilpatrick, was found guilty on one tax-related charge. The case brought by federal prosecutors was the result of a corruption probe of Detroit City Hall that lasted for years.
Prosecutors claim Mayor Kilpatrick, who resigned amidst the probe after holding office from 2002 to 2008, ran a criminal empire out of the mayor's office. To date, the investigation has resulted in convictions of two dozen people, according to CNN.
Kilpatrick faces up to 20 years in prison for the racketeering charges. In 2008 he plead guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice, involving attempts to cover up an extramarital affair. The former mayor also plead no contest...
- 3/11/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Tweeted "Wait, Lil Kim died last night?" No, Mr. Mayor. She didn't. Rumors of Lil' Kim's death swirled all over the internet after the announcement of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's demise.
It seems that a few users on Twitter started calling the late dictator Lil' Kim and, like a good game of telephone, it spread like wildfire. This is not the first time this happened. Anyone remember the rumors of the death of Carlos Santana after the death of kinda, sorta lookalike Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi?
This is the second celebrity Twitter death rumor so far this week. Jon Bon Jovi just had to prove his warm-blooded status by Tweeting a picture of himself with today's date written on a piece of paper. We can't wait to see what that's photo shopped into.
It seems that a few users on Twitter started calling the late dictator Lil' Kim and, like a good game of telephone, it spread like wildfire. This is not the first time this happened. Anyone remember the rumors of the death of Carlos Santana after the death of kinda, sorta lookalike Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi?
This is the second celebrity Twitter death rumor so far this week. Jon Bon Jovi just had to prove his warm-blooded status by Tweeting a picture of himself with today's date written on a piece of paper. We can't wait to see what that's photo shopped into.
- 12/20/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
So you're a straying politician who doesn't want to end up in the tabloids. Don't date an employee, and do use birth control! Ex-madam Kristin Davis and the founder of Ashley Madison offer a guide to getting away with it.
It's no secret that Americans have the highest rate of divorce in the Western world; at least one study has found that 60 percent of men and half of women will cheat on their spouses at some point during their lives. But if cheating happens so often, why haven't we gotten any better at doing it? From Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose wife is leaving him over a secret child, to former presidential candidate John Edwards, who allegedly paid off his mistress using campaign funds, to the text-happy Tiger Woods, let's hope America's cheating husbands and wives have taken a hint on what not to do.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Weinergate:...
It's no secret that Americans have the highest rate of divorce in the Western world; at least one study has found that 60 percent of men and half of women will cheat on their spouses at some point during their lives. But if cheating happens so often, why haven't we gotten any better at doing it? From Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose wife is leaving him over a secret child, to former presidential candidate John Edwards, who allegedly paid off his mistress using campaign funds, to the text-happy Tiger Woods, let's hope America's cheating husbands and wives have taken a hint on what not to do.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Weinergate:...
- 5/28/2011
- by David A. Graham
- The Daily Beast
In his new book Tangled Webs, writer James Stewart reveals shocking new stories of deception in the Scooter Libby, Martha Stewart, Barry Bonds, and Bernie Madoff cases. Tony Dokoupil on Stewart's top 10 revelations-including Rove's lies to Bush. Plus, Dokoupil reports in this week's Newsweek on Tangled Webs and how America lost the truth.
Through three decades, eight books, and countless articles, James Stewart has made exposing liars the touchstone of his career. In Tangled Webs, he focuses on a particular type of lie-perjury-and blows open the stories of four blockbuster trials, with previously secret testimony, investigators notes, and a bevy of exclusive interviews.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Beginning of History
All four of his subjects-Martha Stewart, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Barry Bonds, and Bernie Madoff-have been convicted of some deception-related crime. What Stewart does is pinpoint the moment each person parted with the truth. The results...
Through three decades, eight books, and countless articles, James Stewart has made exposing liars the touchstone of his career. In Tangled Webs, he focuses on a particular type of lie-perjury-and blows open the stories of four blockbuster trials, with previously secret testimony, investigators notes, and a bevy of exclusive interviews.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Beginning of History
All four of his subjects-Martha Stewart, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Barry Bonds, and Bernie Madoff-have been convicted of some deception-related crime. What Stewart does is pinpoint the moment each person parted with the truth. The results...
- 4/19/2011
- by Tony Dokoupil
- The Daily Beast
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced to 18 months to five years of jail time for lying while on probation and hiding money intended to repay the City of Detroit."Your testimony in this court amounted to perjury," Wayne County Circuit Judge David Grover told Kilpatrick, according to the Detroit Free Press. "...Probation is no longer an option. That ship has sailed."...
- 5/25/2010
- Essence
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