Politically, I identify as a staunch member of the “hater” party. I’m generally disgusted with both Republicans and Democrats on a daily basis. Currently, however, there seems to be a true uptick in more intolerable offenses committed by the party largely in power, and as the old saying goes, the fish rots from the head. In President Donald Trump’s infamous political career, he’s made a number of morally debatable decisions, including granting clemency to some of his loyalists. Among the lot of those is Jonathan Braun.
In 2021, Trump commuted Braun’s 10-year federal prison sentence for a large-scale marijuana smuggling and money-laundering operation after he served just one year in prison. He ended up being sentenced to three and-a-half years of supervised release. Now, according to People, Braun has been sentenced to federal prison again for 27 months for violating the terms of his release after new accusations of physical and sexual assault were brought up.
According to ABC news, prosecutors sought a 5-year sentence in order to “protect” the public from him. In a court filling prior to sentencing they said:
“The defendant’s brazen and violent conduct caused fear and terror in his victims,” and prosecutors went on to say he is a “serious danger to the community.”
In February, Braun was accused of sexually assaulting his kids’ nanny. The prosecutors alleged in court that he placed the girl in a headlock, fondled her breasts, and forced her to grope his bare genitals, per People.
Prior to that, in January, he allegedly swung a hospital IV pole at a nurse, threatening to kill her. In March, he was accused of grabbing a fellow congregant’s arm and threatening him at a New York synagogue after Braun was asked to be quiet during services.
Braun is the eighth person to be charged with crimes after being granted clemency by Trump during his final days of office in his first term. It is something the American people are growing more and more irritated with.
In the comments of an MSNBC report on his failing clemencies, Americans voiced their outrage.
“Fighting crime by releasing criminals? Is that the new rule of law,” one commenter cheekily noted.
“I wish I could say I’m surprised by these pardons … but I’m not,” added another.
People stated that according to federal inmate records it reviewed, as of November 11, 2025, Braun is still in custody Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
