Donald Trump is tweeting Kanye West, so it only follows that Kim Kardashian is calling Jared Kushner. But she has something serious on her mind.
According to Mic, the Kimye prefix is phoning the presidential son-in-law and senior adviser to lobby for a presidential pardon of Alice Marie Johnson, a 62-year-old woman who has served 21 years of a life sentence on a federal drug charge. In 1997, Johnson was convicted for her role in a multimillion-dollar cocaine ring. She was a first-time, nonviolent offender who said she turned to dealing “in desperation” after a divorce, job loss and a child’s death, with two other children to support.
In a 2016 op-ed for CNN, Johnson expressed accountability and remorse. “I want this part to be clear: I acknowledge that I have done wrong,” she said. “I made the biggest mistake of my life to make ends meet and got involved with people selling drugs. This was a road I never dreamed of venturing down. I became what is called a telephone mule, passing messages between the distributors and sellers. I participated in a drug conspiracy and I was wrong.”
Kardashian has publicly advocated on behalf of Johnson. Last year, she shared a video about Johnson’s story with the comment “This is so unfair.” The “New York Daily News” reported that Kardashian had asked her attorney to look into the matter.
Because Johnson was sentenced to life without parole, the only avenue for release would be a presidential pardon or clemency. President Obama passed over Johnson for a pardon in 2016.
This is so unfair… https://t.co/W3lPINbQuy
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 26, 2017
Alice Marie Johnson has been in prison for 21 years for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense. pic.twitter.com/VFe29D2ve8
— Mic (@mic) October 23, 2017
On Wednesday, Axios reported that the calls between Kardashian and Kushner had taken place over several months “and have picked up in intensity over the last several days.” But a pardon for Johnson would directly contradict Trump’s recent proposal to punish certain drug offenses with the death penalty.
A rep for Kardashian has confirmed that she and Kushner have talked, and Mic reports that White House attorneys have reviewed Johnson’s case. But it’s unclear if a decision has been reached or when one is expected.
