Brian Kelsey, a former Tennessee senator, was granted an unexpected pardon from former President Donald Trump just 15 days into serving a 21-month prison sentence. Kelsey, who has twin two-year-old sons and a five-year-old daughter, had been incarcerated at the Ashland prison camp in Kentucky after pleading guilty in a federal campaign finance conspiracy case. The pardon, announced on social media by Trump, came as a surprise to Kelsey, who had expressed hope for divine intervention in his situation.
Kelsey began serving his sentence on February 24, following the U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of his appeal a month earlier. Prior to entering prison, he submitted a request for a pardon, which was ultimately granted. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed his release from the Ashland camp due to the pardon. Kelsey expressed gratitude for Trump's intervention and planned to spend time with his family following his release.
"I'm just going to take the day to thank President Trump and others who supported me, and hug on my wife and kids," said Kelsey.
Kelsey's legal troubles began when he claimed he was targeted by what he described as the "weaponized Biden DOJ." He asserted that the investigation's true target was Matt Schlapp and the American Conservative Union (ACU), of which Schlapp is chairman. According to Kelsey, prosecutors offered him a deal to testify against Schlapp and others at the ACU but proceeded with charges when he refused.
"They offered to cut me a deal if I would testify against Matt Schlapp and others at the ACU, and threatened me with a frivolous prosecution if I did not," Kelsey stated.
"I told them I did nothing wrong, and neither did anyone else at the ACU, and that's when they brought charges," he added.
However, a spokeswoman for CPAC, the organization behind ACU, clarified that neither Schlapp nor CPAC were ever targets of the investigation.
"Neither CPAC nor Matt Schlapp were ever a target of this investigation. Two people employed at the time were thoroughly investigated over years and not charged or convicted," said the spokeswoman.
The spokeswoman also commented on the broader implications of Kelsey's pardon and the perceived politicization of the Department of Justice.
"Due to the politicization of the DOJ, President Trump and many of his allies, including CPAC, spent millions of dollars to fight a weaponized attempt at prosecution. The missing step is full financial restitution for those forced to spend millions to counter politically-motivated investigations," she remarked.
Despite these tensions, CPAC extended well wishes to Kelsey and his family as they move forward from these events.
"We wish Brian Kelsey and his family all the best as they close this painful chapter of their lives," the spokeswoman added.
Kelsey's case was managed by the Public Integrity Section of the DOJ, which is tasked with overseeing sensitive cases involving public officials. The timing of Kelsey's pardon is considered highly unusual given it occurred so early in his prison term.
Kelsey's experience underscores ongoing debates about the role of politics in judicial proceedings. His claims of political targeting by the DOJ reflect broader accusations that have been leveled against both Democratic and Republican administrations over perceived bias in prosecutorial decisions.
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