President Trump commuted the 12-year prison sentence of Imaad Zuberi, a major political donor and former Democrat supporter who had been convicted of obstructing a federal investigation and falsifying records for lobbying. The decision was announced by the White House in conjunction with Fox News Digital. Zuberi, who initially supported Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, switched allegiance to Trump after his 2016 election win and donated over $1.1 million to Trump-related committees. He was sentenced to prison for obstructing an investigation into a $900,000 donation to Trump’s inauguration and falsifying records to conceal his lobbying activities for Sri Lanka. Trump’s decision to commute Zuberi’s sentence comes amid a broader trend of commutations and pardons from the administration.
The New York Times reported that before pivoting to Trump on election night, Zuberi served as a bundler for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, including on their campaign finance committees. The donations secured him invitations to a pair of black-tie dinners celebrating Trump’s inauguration. In 2020, he pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal investigation into the source of a $900,000 donation he made through his company to Trump’s inaugural committee in late December 2016. Zuberi also pleaded guilty to falsifying records filed with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act to conceal his lobbying work on behalf of Sri Lanka. He allegedly directed millions of dollars from the Sri Lankan contract to himself and his wife for personal purposes, shortchanging lobbyists, public relations and law firms, and certain subcontractors who were part of the lobbying effort.
His commutation was one of several on Wednesday, as well as a few pardons. Larry Hoover, who is serving time in a federal supermax prison, also had his sentence commuted. Hoover, the co-founder of the Chicago Gangster Disciples, was originally imprisoned for a 1973 murder and later convicted in 1998 for operating a criminal enterprise. Trump also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who was convicted in two federal criminal cases, including one that contributed to his resignation. The Associated Press contributed to this report.