WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Just hours before he was set to begin serving a nearly 10-year prison sentence, Ozy Media co-founder Carlos Watson received a commutation from former President Donald Trump, a White House official confirmed Friday.
Watson had been convicted in a high-profile fraud case last year, which exposed the downfall of his once-promising media startup amid broader challenges in the industry. He had been ordered to report to prison on Friday but was spared from serving his sentence by Trump’s decision.
A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the commutation. Watson’s legal team declined to comment on the matter.
Throughout his political career, Trump has frequently used his executive powers to grant clemency, often arguing that individuals were treated unfairly by the legal system. His own recent conviction in a case related to hush money payments has fueled his claims of politically motivated prosecutions.
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Watson was not the only individual to benefit from Trump’s latest round of clemency. Among others granted relief were Trevor Milton, the founder of electric vehicle company Nikola, who had been serving a four-year sentence for misleading investors about his company’s technology. Milton received a full pardon.
Additionally, three executives from the cryptocurrency exchange BITMEX—who had been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay a $100 million fine for violating U.S. anti-money laundering regulations—were also pardoned.
The latest clemency actions highlight Trump’s continued use of his presidential powers to intervene in high-profile cases, particularly those involving business leaders and entrepreneurs .
