R. Kelly's attorneys submit clemency request to Trump for 30-year sentence

R&B singer Robert Sylvester Kelly has had a petition for clemency filed with the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney, seeking President Donald Trump’s intervention to end his 30-year prison term for federal sex trafficking and racketeering convictions. The request, submitted by Kelly’s attorneys, was disclosed publicly this week and remains under review.

Kelly was convicted in September 2021 on nine counts, including sexual exploitation of children, forced labor and violations of the Mann Act, after a six-week trial in Brooklyn. He was sentenced in June 2022, with U.S. Attorney Breon Peace stating that the sentence held Kelly accountable for his alleged abuse of vulnerable individuals.

Attorney Beau Brindley, who previously appealed to Trump, said the filing seeks a conversation with the president because Kelly allegedly faces imminent danger in prison. Brindley also claimed that prosecutors had attempted to intercept Kelly’s mail and suggested a broader conspiracy, though a U.S. attorney described those allegations as insufficient for a hearing.

Separately, Kelly’s counsel is pursuing a new trial in Chicago, arguing that evidence was compromised. The White House has not responded to inquiries about the clemency request. Trump previously commented on a separate pardon question, saying he had not closely followed the case and would consider any request without personal bias.