Trump pardons Rudy Giuliani, ex-aides involved in bid to overturn 2020 poll results

US President Donald Trump has granted “full, complete, and unconditional” pardons to several former aides, including ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, for their roles in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

According to Justice Department Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, those granted pardons include former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows; attorneys John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, and Sidney Powell; and longtime Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn.

While Giuliani had led efforts to pressure state legislatures to overturn Joe Biden’s victories, Meadows served as a key intermediary between Trump and state officials.

Eastman and Chesebro were accused of devising a plan to pressure former Vice President Mike Pence to reject the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021, the day when Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol and attempted to stop the transfer of power.

Meanwhile, Powell spearheaded a series of baseless legal challenges to the results in key swing states.

The undated document granting the pardons was posted on Sunday night by Justice Department Pardon Attorney Ed Martin. However, it remains unclear when Trump actually approved the clemency.

None of the former aides named in the document have been charged, making the pardons largely symbolic.

Earlier, within hours of his inauguration in January this year, Trump had pardoned some 1,600 individuals who participated in the Capitol riot, including hundreds accused of assaulting police officers guarding the building.

Among the 1,600, over 600 had been convicted or pleaded guilty to assaulting or obstructing law enforcement officers, while 170 faced charges for using a deadly weapon.

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