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News > U.S.

Trump Pardons 'Old Friend,' Ex-Media Mogul of Fraud Convictions

  • Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to former media mogul Conrad Black.

    Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to former media mogul Conrad Black. | Photo: EFE

Published 16 May 2019
Opinion

Black is the author of the biography Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other who has described the U.S. president as "hardworking and cunning." 

U.S. President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, former media mogul and owner of The Daily Telegraph, who was convicted, in 2007, of fraud.

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Black and Trump are well-known to be good friends, which is made especially apparent by Black's consistent praise of the U.S. president. Black is the author of the biography Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other. The ex-media boss has described the president as "hardworking and cunning." 

Black has also featured Trump in his columns, including one titled "Trump Is The Good Guy," to which the president responded to by saying Black is "one of the truly great intellects & my friend," in a tweet. The president called Black personally to deliver the news of his pardon. 

While Trump has acknowledged their long friendship, the head of state claims it had no bearing on the pardon. The United States leader also told Black that "the supportive things you've said and written about me" did not influence his decision. 

Black has also written biographies of presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, which was mentioned by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders in a press release. The White House communications official referred to Black as an "entrepreneur and scholar" who "has made tremendous contributions to business, as well as to political and historical thought."

The former media baron is known for growing what was once the third-largest newspaper company in the world, which faded after a conviction issued by U.S. Judge Amy J. St. Eve. Black was slapped with a six-and-a-half year prison term for corporate fraud. Black was caught on camera removing 13 boxes of documents from the offices of Hollinger International, a media company he owned at the time. 

Hollinger International once owned the Daily Telegraph, Chicago Sun-Times, Jerusalem Post and hundreds of other small papers in the U.S. and Canada.

The sentence was ultimately reduced following an appeal and re-sentencing, resulting in Black serving 42 months instead of his original sentence. After serving the prison sentence, he was deported to Canada and prohibited from entering the U.S. for 30 years. 

The action marks another right-wing pardon by President Donald Trump.

In August, he pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio of his conviction of criminal contempt. Arpaio was known for his harsh treatment of undocumented immigrants, which included defying a federal court order to engage in racially profile people of Latino ethnicity. 

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