Just hours before he was scheduled to be sentenced, a labor union leader who admitted to not reporting more than$ 300, 000 worth of gifts has been pardoned by US President Donald Trump. Previous general secretary of the International Union of Operating Engineers James Callahan was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty to concealing lavish benefits he received from an advertising agency related to his coalition in January. Callahan, 65, was charged with violating the terms of his constitutional right to a full and unconditional presidential pardon on Tuesday, prompting his attorneys to request that the judge postpone the sentencing hearing with US district judge Ana Reyes. Carrallahan acknowledged that he had not reported at least$ 35,000 in lavish sports tickets, as well as other premium amenities. According to federal prosecutors, the coalition received the benefits from a business that was used for branding jobs, as per a report obtained by AP. The prosecution’s earlier this month wrote in favor of a six-month jail term, accusing the Operating Engineers of accidentally funding Defendant Callahan’s lavish entertainments spree, which his large salary had easily accommodate. They made it clear that Callahan, who served as president for more than 500,000 years, had since retired to Florida and had a net worth of more than$ 5 million. Callahan agreed to pay the union the entire amount as part of his plea deal and resign from his position immediately. The benefits “properly belonged to the Working Engineers,” according to the prosecution, adding that Callahan frequently used the cards for personal pleasure or passed them on to family and friends without any affiliation with the federation. Almost 400, 000 workers in the US and Canada, mostly in the development and business sectors, are represented by the International Union of Operating Engineers, based in Washington, DC. Responding to requests for comment, neither Ed Martin Jr., the justice agency’s forgive lawyer, nor Callahan’s legal team, responded. Since leaving business, Trump has granted numerous pardons to friends and well-known business and political images.
