Death Row Records Cofounder Gets Prison Sentence Commuted by President Trump After Snoop Dogg Reaches Out
UPDATE (Jan. 20):
The White House has released a statement on the commutation of Michael "Harry O" Harris' remaining prison sentence.
Michael Harris: President Trump commuted the sentence of Michael Harris. Mr. Harris is a 59 year old who has served 30 years of a 25 year to life sentence for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Mr. Harris has had an exemplary prison record for three decades. He is a former entrepreneur and has mentored and taught fellow prisoners how to start and run businesses. He has completed courses towards business and journalism degrees. Upon his release, Mr. Harris will have a meaningful place of employment and housing with the support of his family.
Trump has pardoned 73 people and commuted the sentences of 70 others.
ORIGINAL STORY:
One day after it was reported that Snoop Dogg was trying to get President Trump to pardon Death Row Records cofounder Michael "Harry O" Harris, it looks like Snoop's efforts paid off.
On Tuesday evening (Jan. 19), the New York Post reported Trump had commuted Harris' sentence. Harris was originally set to be released from prison in 2028, after being convicted of attempted murder and cocaine trafficking over 30 years ago, but now he's apparently set to be released, if he hasn't already left Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc walls in California.
In an email to Weldon Angelos, a former music producer who had his own drug sentence commuted by Trump last year, Harris expressed his gratitude.
“Thank God," reads the email from Harris. "God is great. It feels like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.”
Angelos gives credit to Trump's adviser and daughter, Ivanka Trump, someone he says wouldn't take no for an answer.
Speaking with The Daily Beast for a report published yesterday, Angelos, who'd previously produced for Snoop Dogg, said Snoop was the one who brought Harris' case to his attention. From there, Angelos contacted Alice Johnson, who had her prison sentence commuted by Trump back in 2018. After that, Johnson said she's contacted people in the White House to set this whole event in motion.
Harris helped found Death Row Records by giving Suge Knight seed money to form the label back in the early 1990s. Snoop, who's called out President Trump supporters on a few occasions, was signed to Death Row through most of the 1990s.
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