Dinesh D’Souza, a conservative political commentator and filmmaker who pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions, will be offered a full pardon, President Donald Trump announced Thursday morning.

“Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D’Souza today,” Trump said in a tweet. “He was treated very unfairly by our government!”

Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D’Souza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018

In 2014, D’Souza was convicted of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act by using “straw donors” to contribute to New York Republican Wendy Long’s failed 2012 Senate campaign. Straw donors are people who use another person’s money to donate to candidates in their own name.

After maxing out the act’s $5,000 limit on campaign contributions to a single candidate, D’Souza directed his assistant and a romantic partner to make donations to Long, according to the

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FBI. He later reimbursed them and their spouses for the donations, which totaled $20,000.

In court, D’Souza admitted he knew the actions were illegal. He was sentenced to a five-year probation, including eight months in a halfway house, and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine.

D’Souza is a sharp critic of former President Barack Obama who drew controversy earlier this year for mocking survivors of the Parkland high school shooting.

Trump has pardoned four other people since taking office, including Joe Arpaio, a former Arizona sheriff, and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff.



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