Results tagged “pardon”

Yesterday, the country witnessed the dramatic reunion between formerly imprisoned journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling and their families, a reunion orchestrated by former President Bill Clinton, his former Vice President Al Gore, and the White House. Though the White House was working to secure the release of Lee and Ling, Current TV journalists who were sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp by North Korea for illegally entering the country, and had considered envoys like Gore, Bill Richardson, and Senator John Kerry, it turned out that North Korea requested former president Clinton. Lee and Ling, who were being held in a guest house, both told their families in phone calls that North Korea would consider amnesty if "an envoy in the person of President Clinton would agree to come to Pyongyang and seek their release."

After President Bush's reversal of a Brooklyn developer's pardon, the White House said President Bush was unaware the father of the developer, Isaac Toussie, had donated money ot the Republican party. Yet the President did meet Toussie's father, Robert, who is also a developer, earlier this year and the Daily News published a photograph of the two, adding, "It was not immediately clear if the picture was snapped before or after Robert Toussie's $28,500 donation to the Republican National Committee in April." And it's not just the Republicans who have benefited from Robert Toussie's largesse: He's donated to Rep. Anthony Weiner, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, and other elected officials. Toussie and his son face lawsuits, accusing them of using deceptive tactics to sell shoddy homes to homebuyers (many of them minorities).

Some more spinning from the White House after President Bush pardoned a Brooklyn developer—and then rescinded the pardon the next day. White House spokesman Tony Fratto told Newsday that the President "followed the process" when he first granted the parson to Isaac Toussie but decided to reverse the decision after finding out Toussie's father made contributions to the Republican party and politicians, "It [the contributions] had the potential to create at least the appearance of impropriety."

It was a Christmas Eve embarrassment! The White House had to announce that President Bush's previously announced pardon of Brooklyn developer Isaac Toussie would no longer be happening. Funnily enough, the announcement came after it was reported how Toussie's father donated tens of thousands to the Republican party and Republican politicians. Coincidence—or Christmas miracle? One homebuyer who says she was scammed by Toussie said to Newsday, "There is a Santa Claus after all. I couldn't have wished for a better present."

to execute the pardon! Earlier today, Daily News reported Toussie's father "donated $28,500 to the Republican Part this year." And there's a federal lawsuit against Toussie from homebuyers who were apparently duped into buying overpriced, defective homes in bad areas from him, after he used deceptive tactics. Some had given comments like, "The politically connected get what they want, and little people like us are just left to sink or swim. Thanks to the President for the worst Christmas gift you could have ever given us," and "I think Bush stinks anyway," but maybe they'll slightly change their tune now.

So how many years should a police officer spend in jail for sodomizing a handcuffed suspect with a broomstick? Justin Volpe, the cop who was convicted of torturing Haitian immigrant Abner Louima in a Brooklyn precinct in 1997 and who has been behind bars in a federal prison for nearly 12 years without any chance of parole, is petitioning the Justice Department for a reduced sentence. He's currently sentenced to 30 years, but letters from family, friends, and a priest pleading for leniency have been sent with his petition. (In 2004, GQ tagged along with Volpe's father, a retired NYPD cop, during depressing visits with his son.)

Governor David Paterson announced that he was pardoning Ricky Walters, aka hip-hop artist "Slick Rick," for his 1991 attempted murder and weapons convictions. Walters, who was born in the U.K. moved to the Bronx when he was 11 (he lives in the Bronx now), served more than five years in prison but has been threatened with deportation in recent years.