Trump pardons a labor union leader on the eve of sentencing for failing to report gifts
A labor union leader who pleaded guilty to failing to report gifts from an advertising firm was by President Donald Trump on the eve of his sentencing hearing Wednesday, court records show.
James Callahan, of Lindenhurst, New York, was general president of the International Union of Operating Engineers when he accepted 鈥� but failed to properly report 鈥� receiving at least $315,000 in tickets to sporting events and concerts and other amenities from a company that the union used to place ads.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes was scheduled to sentence Callahan on Wednesday. On Tuesday, however, Callahan's attorneys of Trump's 鈥渇ull and unconditional鈥� pardon and asked for the sentencing hearing to be vacated. The pardon itself doesn't specify why Trump granted him clemency.
The judge is holding Callahan鈥檚 sentence 鈥渋n abeyance鈥� 鈥� a temporary state of suspension 鈥� until prosecutors file a formal request to dismiss the case, court records show.
Ed Martin Jr., now the Justice Department's pardon attorney, was acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia when Callahan pleaded guilty on Jan. 29 to knowingly filing false annual reports with the U.S. Labor Department.
Callahan鈥檚 lawyers and a spokesperson for Martin didn鈥檛 immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
Earlier this month, prosecutors had of six months for Callahan, calling him "one of the most powerful union leaders in the country." They said Callahan's salary and other compensation topped $500,000 annually. Now retired and living in Florida, he has a net worth of more than $5 million, according to prosecutors.
鈥淭hat the Operating Engineers were unknowingly funding Defendant Callahan鈥檚 spree of pricey entertainments 鈥� a lifestyle his substantial salary could easily accommodate 鈥� is especially condemning,鈥� they wrote.
Callahan's plea agreement required him to repay the union $315,000 for the tickets and to immediately resign as union president.
鈥淭hose tickets and amenities properly belonged to the Operating Engineers, and yet Defendant Callahan used many of those tickets personally and provided other tickets to members of his family and persons who were not members of the Operating Engineers,鈥� prosecutors wrote.
The Washington-based union that Callahan led represents nearly 400,000 heavy machinery operators on construction and industrial sites throughout the U.S. and Canada.