“President Donald J. Trump, in his final hours in the White House in early 2021, commuted a 10-year drug smuggling sentence being served by a New Yorker named Jonathan Braun”
“The apparent lack of vetting of Mr. Braun by the Trump White House highlighted the slapdash manner in which Mr. Trump made decisions about using his clemency powers. It also underscored how some of those who received pardons or commutations had used connections to get their cases considered, bypassing the traditional system run by the Justice Department to vet and recommend pardon applicants.“
“Mr. Benton was sentenced last year to one and a half years in prison for a campaign violation related to the 2016 election — facilitating an illegal contribution from a Russian businessman to help Mr. Trump”