President Trump granted clemency to nearly 150 people in the final hours of his presidency, including prominent allies, high-profile entertainers and many lesser-known convicted drug offenders.
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon, one-time Trump fundraiser Elliott Broidy and rapper Lil Wayne were among 73 people granted pardons.
Kwame Kilpatrick, the former mayor of Detroit who was serving a 28-year prison term on corruption charges, and rapper Kodak Black, are among 70 people whose sentences were commuted by Trump.
Conspicuously missing from the clemency list was former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, whom Trump was reportedly considering.
The widely anticipated move added to the nearly 90 clemency orders Trump had issued since 2017, including back-to-back waves over two days leading to Christmas.
Trump was heavily involved in vetting the people who sought his mercy and held several meetings over the past weekend to his plans, The Associated Press reported, citing an unidentified White House official.
The bulk of the clemency requests came from first-time drug offenders serving life sentences in prison, a source involved in the process told AP.
The president personally made every decision on who to approve and who to reject, the source added.
First Daughter Ivanka Trump, a full-time White House adviser to her dad, also reportedly met with advocates for various applicants, reviewed cases and brought them to the Justice Department and its Office of Pardon Attorney for review.
With Post wires