Why did President Donald Trump pardon MLB legend on drug and tax evasion charges?
Trump has pardoned former New York Mets star Darryl Strawberry, who pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion in 1995.
Former New York Mets star Darryl Strawberry has been pardoned by President Donald Trump. Strawberry was an eight-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion, winning rings with the Mets and the New York Yankees.
Later in his career Strawberry was plagued by personal problems, notably indicted for tax evasion. In 1995 he pleaded guilty on one felony count and agreed to pay more than $430,000 in compensation. Following his retirement from baseball Strawberry had more legal issues and pleaded no contest to charges of soliciting a prostitute and possession of cocaine. He served 11 months in a Florida state prison.
ESPN reports that Trump approved the pardon for Strawberry on account of his reformed character. Now 63, Strawberry is said to have been sober for more than a decade and he is active in a Christian ministry.
In a post on Instagram, Strawberry recounted the moment that he heard the news of his pardon: “At 4:37pm, Yesterday I was home caring for my wife as she recovered from surgery, when my phone kept ringing relentlessly. Half asleep, I glanced over and saw a call from Washington DC. Curious, I answered, and to my amazement, the lady on the line said, ‘Darryl Strawberry, you have a call from the President of the United States, Donald Trump,’”
“I put it on speakerphone with my wife nearby, and President Trump spoke warmly about my baseball days in NYC, praising me as one the greatest player of the ’80s and celebrating the Mets. Then, he told me he was granting me a full pardon from my past.”
Last year the New York Mets retired Strawberry’s No. 18 jersey. The former star told Mets fans at Citi Field: “I’m truly, deeply sorry that I ever left you guys. I never played baseball in front of fans greater than you guys.”
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