Prez Trump reportedly to name Alice Marie Johnson as his “pardon czar”

This new New York Times article, headlined “Trump May Name a Woman He Once Pardoned to Be His ‘Pardon Czar,’” reports on a notable potential development in the federal clemency arena.  Here is how the article begins and ends:

President Trump’s advisers are considering Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving a life sentence for a drug conviction when the president commuted her sentence during his first term, to be the “pardon czar,” according to three people familiar with the discussions.

It was not immediately clear what the role would entail, but Ms. Johnson, at the end of Mr. Trump’s first term, said she wanted to work on behalf of people she believed should be considered for clemency.

Ms. Johnson’s appointment has not been finalized, and like many things in Mr. Trump’s world, plans could change. When reached by phone, Ms. Johnson declined to comment. A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Ms. Johnson, whose case was originally brought to Mr. Trump’s attention by Kim Kardashian, has become a vocal supporter of the president. Some of Mr. Trump’s advisers see her as being politically helpful to him over the years; during the 2020 presidential race, the Trump campaign featured her in a Super Bowl ad in an effort to reach Black voters….

In a November 2024 television interview, Ms. Johnson said that after her release she personally submitted over 100 petitions to the White House after Mr. Trump asked her to compile a list of people she believed deserved clemency. “I’m so blessed to be free myself,” she said. “The work continues. I can’t help but advocate for people who are incarcerated, because I’m really one of them. I’m just a free one of them.”