President Trump pardoned Conrad Black, a 74-year-old Canadian-born British former media baron who is a longtime friend and onetime business partner, on Wednesday. In a statement, the White House suggested Black's 2007 conviction for fraud and obstruction of justice, tied to an alleged scheme to swindle millions from investors, was overly harsh. Black spent more than three years in prison, getting out in 2012, and was then deported to Canada and barred from entering the U.S. for 30 years.
The White House, justifying the pardon, cited "broad support from many high-profile individuals who have vigorously vouched for his exceptional character," naming Henry Kissinger, Rush Limbaugh, the late William F. Buckley Jr., and Elton John. The statement also noted that Black is "the author of several notable biographies," but didn't mention the glowing book Black published about Trump last year.
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