NYT: Trump pardons fewer than 20, rejects nearly 6,000 requests

US President Donald Trump has pardoned fewer than 20 people ahead of the 250th anniversary of American independence while rejecting nearly 6,000 clemency requests, The New York Times reports.

The report said Trump jumped the line to commute sentences or grant pardons to political allies.

Those pardoned reportedly included a Republican Party donor convicted of fraud, and individuals found guilty of violating air pollution laws.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that the Trump administration had been considering pardoning 250 people to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

The newspaper also wrote in April that Trump had granted around 1,600 pardons during his second term—more than any other US president in history.

According to it, recipients included Trump allies, political donors and individuals convicted over their involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov