### Trump Commutes Sentence of Gang Leader Larry Hoover Amid Clemency Actions

In a significant clemency action spree, President Donald Trump on Wednesday reduced the federal prison sentence of Larry Hoover, the mastermind behind the infamous Chicago street gang, the Gangster Disciples. Hoover, who was sentenced to six life terms in the 1990s for various federal offenses including conspiracy, extortion, and drug trafficking, remains entangled in a separate state sentence of 200 years in Illinois for murder — a sentence that cannot be commuted at the federal level.

Hoover, now 74, began his criminal reign in the 1970s, building the Gangster Disciples from a local Chicago gang into a nationwide syndicate. Convicted in 1973 for ordering the murder of a competing drug dealer, Hoover was later found guilty of a host of federal crimes in 1997. Despite forming a political group in the 1990s claiming to repurpose his gang’s activities into community service, authorities have continued to assert that Hoover has retained his leadership role from within prison.

Despite Hoover’s public renouncement of his gang affiliations and advocacy for criminal justice reform, including support for the First Step Act signed by Trump in 2018, skepticism about his intentions persists. Prosecutors in 2021 accused Hoover of maintaining influence over the Gangster Disciples, and judicial inquiries have highlighted the extent of his criminal involvement.

Hoover’s lawyer, Justin Moore, celebrated the president’s decision to commute his federal sentence, expressing hope that Illinois would follow suit and grant Hoover freedom. Moore’s optimism faces significant hurdles, given Hoover's ongoing state sentence.

In addition to Hoover, Trump granted clemency to several others on the same day, including Michael Grimm, a former New York City congressman who served seven months for felony tax fraud. Over the course of his second term, Trump has issued more than 40 pardons aside from nearly 1,600 related to individuals implicated in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Furthermore, it's been reported that Trump pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley, reality TV figures convicted of tax evasion and fraud, this week. Demonstrating leniency, Trump suggested he might consider pardoning individuals involved in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, citing concerns of unfair trial proceedings.

These actions underscore President Trump’s extensive use of his clemency powers during his final weeks in office, leaving a notable mark on the justice system's handling of high-profile convictions and sentences.