On Wednesday, President Donald Trump shortened the 12-year prison term of a significant political contributor convicted of various charges, such as hindering a probe into Trump’s 2017 inauguration committee, as confirmed by the White House to Fox News Digital.
Imaad Zuberi, 54, was a major Democrat supporter before he backed Trump following his 2016 election victory, The New York Times reported.
Prior to supporting Trump on election night, the donor had acted as a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, including roles in both of their campaign finance teams.
According to reports from the Times, Zuberi contributed over $1.1 million to Trump-related and Republican Party committees within months following the 2016 election.
The donations secured him invitations to a pair of black-tie dinners celebrating Trump’s inauguration.
In 2020, he pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal investigation into the source of a $900,000 donation he made through his company to Trump’s inaugural committee in late December 2016, the report states.
Zuberi also pleaded guilty to falsifying records filed with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act to conceal his lobbying work on behalf of Sri Lanka.
Zuberi allegedly directed millions of dollars from the Sri Lankan contract to himself and his wife for personal purposes, shortchanging lobbyists, public relations and law firms, and certain subcontractors who were part of the lobbying effort.
His commutation was one of several on Wednesday, as well as a few pardons.
Larry Hoover, who is serving time in a federal supermax prison, also had his sentence commuted.
Hoover, the co-founder of the Chicago gang Gangster Disciples, was originally imprisoned for a 1973 murder and later convicted in 1998 for operating a criminal enterprise.
Trump also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who was convicted in two federal criminal cases, including one that contributed to his resignation.
