In his last hour as president, Trump pardoned Jeanine Pirro's ex-husband
Almost 12 hours after former President Donald Trump issued a raft of pardons to friends, allies, rappers, GOP lawmakers and fundraisers, and others, he slipped in one last pardon for Albert Pirro, the ex-husband of Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, less than an hour before President Biden was sworn in, ABC News reports. "What was possibly Trump's final act as president reflected a recurring theme in his final months in office: delivering clemencies to scores of personal friends and political allies."
Pirro, 73, was convicted in 2000 on 34 counts of tax evasion and conspiracy for improperly deducting more than $1 million in personal expenses as tax write-offs for his New York real estate law businesses. He and Jeanine Pirro, one of Trump's favorite Fox personalities, were married at the time. Albert Pirro donated about $2,000 to Trump's 2020 campaign and the Republican National Committee, ABC News notes, citing campaign finance records.
During his tabloid-like trial, "prosecutors suggested that Albert Pirro lusted for money in much the way that Richard Nixon lusted for power," The New York Times reported in June 2000, after his guilty verdicts were handed down for Pirro and his accountant brother. "Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that by improperly deducting $1.2 million of Albert Pirro's personal expenses as business write-offs, thereby reducing Albert Pirro's taxes by $413,000, the brothers had brazenly violated a fundamental tenet of the American tax system: that every taxpayer must pay his or her fair share, regardless of wealth or influence."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will Grace Wales Bonner change Hermès for the better?Podcast Plus will nuclear fusion deliver us from climate change? Is humour the best way to take on Trump?
-
The week’s best photosIn Pictures A fluffy hug, a toppled tower, and more
-
Common signs of a romance scam and what one could cost youthe explainer Don’t let love cloud your judgment
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
Bolivia elects centrist over far-right presidential rivalSpeed Read Relative political unknown Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, was elected president
-
Madagascar president in hiding, refuses to resignSpeed Read Andry Rajoelina fled the country amid Gen Z protests and unrest
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace planSpeed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
