With Donald Trump’s final day in office now here, many are wondering who made it onto his list of presidential pardons.
Hours before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, the Trump administration has released the full list of 143 people who will receive either pardons or commuted sentences. This includes his former political adviser Steve Bannon.
Only a small number of figures from the world of entertainment made it onto the list, including rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.
Desiree Perez, the CEO of music company Roc Nation, also had her sentence commuted “for taking full accountability of her actions”.
Perez was arrested in 1994 for drug possession, and again in 1998 for grand larceny and possession of a firearm.
Many are highlighting the absence of Joe Exotic, the eccentric subject of Netflix documentary Tiger King.
Exotic is currently serving a 22-year sentence in Fort Worth, Texas, after being convicted in 2019 of trying to hire a hitman to kill his rival Carole Baskin, as well as numerous animal abuse charges.
He was reportedly so confident he would receive a presidential pardon that his team claimed to have parked a limousine near his prison to escort him home.
Lil Wayne – real name Dwayne Michael Carter Jr – pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of a loaded weapon on a private plane in December 2020.
Just two months earlier, the rapper revealed he was supporting Trump for a second term after meeting to discuss his plan for investing $500m (£365.8m) in the African-American community should he win the election.
He posted a picture of himself smiling alongside Trump with his thumbs up.
Meanwhile, Kodak Black – real name Bill Kahan Kapri – had his prison sentence commuted after being convicted for charges including falsifying information on federal forms to purchase firearms.
Music fans are reacting to the news on social media, with one person writing: “Just when you thought 2021 couldn’t get weirder.”
