Trump Considers Pardon For Pras Michel Ahead Of Possible 22-Year Sentence

The Grammy-winning rapper has been seeking an appeal

Pras Michel of The Fugees could be pardoned from the 22-year prison sentence he’s facing on federal conspiracy and corruption charges thanks to Donald Trump.

Rumor has it that Pras’s clemency request is being handled by Adam Katz, the attorney who has represented multiple Trump allies, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Among them include Rudy Giuliani in his efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election, Steve Bannon in his contempt of Congress case for refusing to testify before the Jan. 6 committee, and a Southern California businesswoman sentenced to 26 months for fraud after her brother made his first federal political donation — $50,000 to Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.

Pras’s long-standing connection to the current Commander-in-Chief could potentially play to his advantage in overturning his felony convictions and avoiding a lengthy prison sentence.

The Grammy-winning rapper has been seeking an appeal after his trial attorney went viral for misusing artificial intelligence to draft closing arguments, which contributed to Pras’ conviction. His publicist, Erica Dumas, said that the legal team is “exploring all available options following his case” and remains “optimistic about potential paths forward.”

In April 2023, Pras was convicted on 10 felony counts related to his ties with a Malaysian billionaire accused of embezzling billions from the country’s sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB. The U.S. Justice Department prosecuted the rapper-producer for his involvement in what the FBI described as the “largest kleptocracy case to date.”

The scandal included multiple countries and key players with Malaysia’s prime minister, a senior Goldman Sachs banker, and a key fundraiser from Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign being brought down. It also implicated several Hollywood figures, including Leonardo DiCaprio, who had formed a connection with the scheme’s alleged mastermind.

Given the fundraiser’s connection to the case and Trump’s own recent scrutiny by the same Justice Department public corruption unit that investigated Pras, the newly reinstated president might have a particular interest in granting Pras a pardon.

Trump also made an appearance on Pras’s 1998 debut solo album Ghetto Supastar through a voicemail featured in an interlude. In the message, the then-business mogul said, “I have no doubt that you’re going to be a big success,” and added, “I hope very soon you’re going to be in the leagues with me.”

Pras is currently awaiting sentencing after being found guilty on 10 counts, including witness tampering, conspiracy, and failing to register as an agent of China.