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A total of 143 pardons were issued by Trump on his last full day in office on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
But after Trump left Washington, D.C. for Florida on Wednesday morning, Jan. 20, it was announced that Trump had issued one more pardon - for Mount Vernon native Albert Pirro, who was convicted in 2000 on conspiracy and tax evasion charges. The announcement was made public as the inauguration of President Joe Biden was getting underway.
The Pirros were married in 1975 after meeting in law school. They have a pair of children together and formerly lived in Harrison when Jeanine Pirro served as an assistant DA and eventually the Westchester County District Attorney.
It was alleged that Albert Pirro improperly deducted more than $1 million in personal expenses as business write-offs to lower his tax bill prior to his conviction. He was sentenced to 29 months in federal prison.
Pirro served slightly more than a year in prison and has been a top Republican fundraiser in New York for years. A real-estate development lawyer, Pirro has also represented Trump in several deals before his presidency.
“I’m in shock. I went to bed last night having read the list assuming I wasn’t getting a pardon,” Al Pirro told The Daily Beast. “It certainly is a nice act on the part of the president. It has been 20 years since I served my time and it allows me to engage again in public companies which I haven’t been able to do previously.
“It’s a very nice surprise. I have a long association with the Trump organization as I represented them before my conviction,” he added. “I served my time. I paid my debt. I plan to make a contribution back to society. It has been a humbling experience and I’m very grateful to Donald Trump.”
Others pardoned by Trump were rapper Lil Wayne, former White House consultant Steve Bannon, former Trump fundraiser Elliot Broidy, and Ken Kurson, a friend of Jared Kushner who was charged with cyberstalking during a contentious divorce proceeding.
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