R Kelly has a request for President Donald Trump. The convicted sex offender formally asked Trump to commute his 30-year sentence, according to court records released on the Justice Department's website.
Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted in 2021 and 2022 on multiple charges, including racketeering and violations of the Mann Act.
In 2022, the former singer was sentenced to 30 years in prison for those crimes, and in 2023, he received an additional 20-year sentence for child pornography.
R. Kelly has now knocked on the doors of the White House in relation to his 30-year sentence. In the request, the singer has not asked Trump for a full pardon, but is seeking only a commutation, which would reduce his sentence.
"This appears to be a random submission through the public portal which anyone can submit an application through," a White House official tells Rolling Stone.
"The submission of a pardon request should not be interpreted to mean anything other than an individual has chosen to submit a request. The team that reviews clemency requests at the White House is not tracking this request at this time. The White House has a thorough review process for all clemency requests, with the President being the ultimate decider."
This request comes a year after his attorney filed an emergency motion for the singer's immediate release from federal custody to home detention. (Agencies)
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