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Who were other notable figures pardoned by Trump in January 2021?
Executive summary
President Trump issued a large batch of clemency actions on and around January 20, 2021 — publicly described as 73 pardons and 70 commutations in the White House statement [1] and recorded in the Justice Department’s pardons log covering January 13–20, 2021 [2]. Available sources in this packet list many high-profile recipients over time (including later pardons tied to Jan. 6 and 2025 proclamations), but the detailed Justice Department list for the January 20, 2021 action is the primary contemporaneous official record [1] [2].
1. What the official January 20, 2021 clemency action said
The Trump White House posted a statement saying President Donald J. Trump granted pardons to 73 individuals and commuted the sentences of 70 others on January 20, 2021; that announcement named individual recipients in summary form and described supporting letters for some of them (for example, Todd Boulanger, Abel Holtz, Kenneth Kurson, Casey Urlacher are mentioned by name in the White House statement) [1]. The Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney maintains an index of pardons and commutations for the 2017–2021 period that shows entries with dates in January 2021 and offers downloadable warrants for combined individual pardons [2].
2. Who among “notable figures” is explicitly documented in the provided coverage
The White House statement on January 20, 2021 explicitly lists several individuals singled out by name in its summaries, including Todd Boulanger, Abel Holtz, Kenneth Kurson, and Casey Urlacher — offering short descriptions of their cases and supporters [1]. Beyond that White House release, contemporary mainstream sources in this packet do not provide a single comprehensive, independently compiled list of all 73 pardons from that day; the Justice Department archive is the official repository for the full documentation [2].
3. High-profile pardons reported later and related developments
Subsequent and later pardons tied to January 6 matters and other controversies appear across sources in this packet, but many of those reflect actions or proclamations that occurred in 2025 rather than the January 20, 2021 batch. For example, reporting and the Justice Department describe a 2025 proclamation granting wide clemency to people charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol events [3] [4]. Coverage in The New York Times and The Independent discusses later pardons for figures such as Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and other campaign allies connected to the fake-elector schemes — these are reported in sources that describe later pardon actions and proclamations, not the original January 20, 2021 White House release [5] [6].
4. How some reporting frames the political and legal stakes
News outlets in the packet emphasize that certain pardons are politically charged and may be symbolic in federal terms while leaving state prosecutions unaffected: The New York Times notes pardons for campaign aides are “largely symbolic” federally and cannot shield recipients from state-level cases [5]. Opinion and analysis pieces in the sources argue these clemencies have broader implications for norms around accountability; one opinion piece cites follow-on criminal charges for some who previously received clemency in Trump’s first term as part of that debate [7].
5. What is not clearly documented in these sources
Available sources in this set do not provide a single, independently corroborated, itemized list in news reporting that names all 73 individuals pardoned on January 20, 2021 aside from the White House summary; the Justice Department’s Pardons Granted page is the authoritative archival source referenced here for individual warrants and combined lists [2] [1]. If you want a complete roster of that specific day’s pardons and commutations, the Justice Department archive entry for 2017–2021 and the downloadable individual warrants it references are the direct official records to consult [2].
6. Competing perspectives and possible agendas to consider
The White House statement (an administration source) frames the clemency actions as redemptive and supported by personal letters and community advocates [1]. Later independent news reporting and opinion pieces frame some pardons as politically motivated and troubling for accountability norms [5] [7]. Readers should note the White House’s interest in legitimizing clemency choices and media outlets’ incentives to highlight controversy; these differing agendas shape which names and narratives each source emphasizes [1] [5] [7].
7. Quick guidance for follow-up verification
To compile a definitive list of the January 20, 2021 pardons referenced in your question, consult the Justice Department Office of the Pardon Attorney’s page for “Pardons Granted by President Donald J. Trump (2017–2021)” and the individual/combined pardon warrants linked there — that is the official record cited in the materials here [2]. For context on later, separate pardon actions (especially those tied to Jan. 6 and 2025 proclamations), review the Justice Department proclamation pages and contemporaneous news coverage distinguishing the 2021 batch from later 2025 clemency moves [3] [5].