STEVE STOCKMAN

FILE - In this Thursday, June 27, 2019 file photo, Paul Manafort arrives in court in New York. President Trump's former campaign manager is to be arraigned on state mortgage fraud charges. Manafort, who led Trump's campaign during a pivotal period in 2016 before being ousted over his ties to Ukraine, was among the first people charged as part of Mueller’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Though the charges against Manafort did not concern the central thrust of Mueller's mandate — whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to tip the election — he was nonetheless a pivotal figure in the investigation. Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.

On Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned 15 people, including Collins. Papadopoulos was the first Trump aide to plead guilty as part of Mueller’s investigation – pleading guilty to lying to the FBI – and served a nearly two-week sentence in federal prison. The White House said Stockman had contracted coronavirus while in federal prison and has served more than two years of his 10-year sentence. Esformes’ prison sentence was commuted by the president on Tuesday, but other aspects of his sentence, including supervised release and millions in restitution, remained intact. The White House said the commutation was supported by a number of former attorneys general and said Esformes is in declining health.

President Trump has begun granting pardons in his final days in office, including pardons for former congressmen Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins, as well as former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos and Alex van der Zwaan, convicted as a part of the Russia investigation. Hunter pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds, including to pay for vacations, and claimed the whole thing was a "witch hunt." Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about contacts he had with Russian agents while he was on the Trump campaign's payroll. Van der Zwaan pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to investigators regarding questions of Russian interference. Mr. Trump also commuted the sentence of Steve Stockman, a former congressman who pleaded guilty to counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.