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Some Big Names Got a Measure of Mercy From President Obama

James Cartwright, who faced a prison sentence for telling a reporter about the secret Stuxnet program, is among those who got a presidential pardon.
Image: James Cartwright
Retired Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright on Aug. 14, 2008, at the Pentagon.Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP

Chelsea Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst, may be the best known felon whose sentence was commuted Tuesday by President Obama, but there were several other big names who received a measure of mercy from the Commander-in-Chief — and a notable omission as well.

Among others, Obama pardoned James “Hoss” Cartwright, who was facing a long prison sentence for talking to New York Times reporter David Sanger about the top secret Stuxnet program that infected Iran’s nuclear program with a computer virus.

Image: Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James Cartwright prepares to testify before the House Armed Services Committee about missile defense October 1, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James Cartwright prepares to testify before the House Armed Services Committee about missile defense October 1, 2009 in Washington, D.C.Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Sanger and other journalists pleaded for leniency for Cartwright, a retired four star Marine general who was vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2007 to 2011, arguing that he was trying to talk the Times out of publishing the report — not leaking sensitive information.

Cartwright later plead guilty to making false statements during a federal investigation.

In all, Obama granted 209 commutations and 64 pardons on Tuesday.

Also receiving a pardon was baseball of Hall of Famer Willie McCovey, who in 1996 was fined and given two years’ probation for failing to pay taxes on income he earned from 1988 to 1990, from selling sports memorabilia and signing autographs.

Image: San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer Willie McCovey watches batting practice from the dugout before the Giants' spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Scottsdale, Arizona on March 8, 2010.
San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer Willie McCovey watches batting practice from the dugout before the Giants' spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Scottsdale, Arizona on March 8, 2010.Eric Risberg / AP

Ian Schrager, the nightclub impresario whose Studio 54 was the place to be in 1970's Manhattan, also got a presidential pardon. He and co-founder Steve Rubell did time for tax evasion.

Image: Ian Schrager attends the Haute Living New York City Real Estate Summit on Nov. 14, 2013 in New York City.
Ian Schrager attends the Haute Living New York City Real Estate Summit on Nov. 14, 2013 in New York City.Craig Barritt / Getty Images for Haute Living

Dwight Loving, one of the few members of the U.S. military on Death Row, had his sentence commuted to life without parole. He had been convicted of killing two taxicab drivers in 1988 while he was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. He has been on death row for more than 27 years.

Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez, who was serving 55 years in prison for plotting to overthrow the U.S. government and an additional 15 years for conspiring to escape from Leavenworth federal prison, had his sentence commuted. The 74-year-old former leader of the FALN movement will be released by May 17.

Image: US-PUERTO RICO-PROTEST
People march to demand the release of Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera near the White House in Washington, DC, on January 11, 2017.NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP - Getty Images

Not on Obama’s list of people receiving pardons was David Petreaus, a four star general and former CIA director who in 2015 was sentenced to two years probation and a $100,000 fine for giving classified information to his mistress.

Petreaus’ cause was taken up by supporters who pointed out that none of the material he turned over fell into hostile hands.

Image: Gen. David Petraeus testifies during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee March 15, 2011 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Gen. David Petraeus testifies during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee March 15, 2011 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.Alex Wong / Getty Images