R. Kelly Seeks Trump Commutation of 30-Year Sex Abuse Sentence
Updated
Updated · Chicago Tribune · Jul 14
R. Kelly Seeks Trump Commutation of 30-Year Sex Abuse Sentence
3 articles · Updated · Chicago Tribune · Jul 14
Summary
A formal clemency request now pending with the Justice Department asks President Donald Trump to commute — not pardon — R. Kelly’s 30-year federal sentence.
Kelly’s lawyer Beau Brindley confirmed he is helping with the bid after publicly urging Trump in 2025 to free the singer immediately, citing alleged threats to Kelly’s life in prison.
A separate motion for a new trial remains pending in Chicago, where Brindley argues prosecutors and prison officials tainted the case by stealing Kelly’s mail; prosecutors call the claims a "fishing expedition."
Kelly, 59, is serving time in Butner, North Carolina, after 2021 New York racketeering and 2022 Chicago sex-crime convictions, with a projected release date in January 2046.
The request lands as Trump has shown a willingness to grant high-profile clemency, though Kelly’s chances appear slim given scrutiny around the president’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.