criminal justice reform
Kim Kardashian West is negotiating a presidential pardon with Jared Kushner
Kim Kardashian West may be tweeting about shiny hair, Mother's Day gifts, and husband Kanye West, but behind the scenes, she's working on more serious matters.
Kardashian West is in talks with White House officials to advocate for a presidential pardon for a nonviolent drug offender serving a life sentence, Mic reported Wednesday.
The reality TV star took interest in 62-year-old Alice Marie Johnson's case after seeing a Mic video that recounted Johnson's conviction. Kardashian West has had several phone calls with Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser, in hopes of convincing Trump to consider a pardon. Conversations have been ongoing for several months, reports Mic, and have apparently led to White House attorneys reviewing Johnson's case files.
Johnson has been in federal prison since 1996, convicted of facilitating communications in a drug trafficking case. She faces life in prison with no opportunity for parole — a severe sentence that criminal justice reform advocates say exemplifies a need for change. Kardashian West called the case "unfair" in October, and sent a team of lawyers to work on freeing Johnson soon afterwards.
A representative for Kardashian West confirmed to Mic that she has been in contact with the White House about Johnson's case. Read more at Mic.