Former Tennessee state Sen. Brian Kelsey exits the federal courthouse in Nashville after pleading guilty on two federal counts on Nov. 22, 2022. (Photo: John Partipilo)
President Donald Trump has pardoned former state Sen. Brian Kelsey just weeks after Kelsey entered federal prison to serve what was to be a 21-month sentence on federal campaign finance charges.
Kelsey, who pleaded guilty in 2022 to two counts of violating federal campaign finance laws in a scheme to bolster his failed 2016 congressional campaign, in a statement blamed “political weaponization” by the Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden for his conviction.
Kelsey to plead guilty in federal election campaign violation indictment
“Like President Trump, I’ve seen how the justice system can be weaponized to target conservatives who challenge the status quo,” Kelsey said in a press release. “His understanding of this injustice, born from his own experiences with lawfare, has restored my freedom and reaffirmed my faith in true leadership.”
The ex-senator funneled more than $90,000 from his state account to his congressional campaign through two political action committees, illicitly using “soft money” not governed by federal laws.
Kelsey, an attorney, attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he wasn’t of sound mind because his wife had recently given birth to twins and his father, who later died, was sick.
Kelsey reported to FCI Ashland in Kentucky on February 25 after exhausting all appeals to reverse his plea, appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear an appeal.
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