Trump Commutes Alice Johnson’s Sentence After Kardashian Lobbying

President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of Alice Johnson, a 62-year-old currently serving a life sentence for a non-violent drug offense, according to a Wednesday Axios report.

The commutation comes days after Kim Kardashian West came to the White House to advocate Johnson’s case.

The celebrity celebrated the victory on Twitter.

BEST NEWS EVER!!!! ?????? https://t.co/JUbpbE1Bk0

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 6, 2018

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders explained the choice in a statement. “Ms. Johnson has accepted responsibility for her past behavior and has been a model prisoner over the past two decades,” she said. “Despite receiving a life sentence, Alice worked hard to rehabilitate herself in prison, and act as a mentor to her fellow inmates. Her Warden, Case Manager, and Vocational Training Instructor have all written letters in support of her clemency.

“While this Administration will always be very tough on crime, it believes that those who have paid their debt to society and worked hard to better themselves while in prison deserve a second chance,” she concluded.

West has been in contact with White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner about commuting Johnson’s sentence for months after being moved by her story. She reportedly hired a legal team to advocate for Johnson’s release.

Johnson’s may be the first of many commutations or pardons, as CNN reported Wednesday morning that the President is prepping paperwork for as many as 30 more.

A White House official told the Washington Post that Trump is “obsessed” with pardons, which this person characterized as Trump’s “favorite thing” to discuss with aides.