Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West paid a visit to the White House on Wednesday to make a case to President Donald Trump and his staff on behalf of a woman serving a life sentence for drug offences.
Kardashian West has been urging the President to pardon Alice Marie Johnson(63) who has spent more than two decades behind bars and is not eligible for parole, reports AP.
It had been unclear whether the socialite would have the chance to sit down with Mr Trump while she was in Washington, but MrTrump confirmed the meeting via Twitter, writing, “Great meeting with Kim Kardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing.”
Kardashian West arrived at the White House just after 4.30pm for what was expected to be a meeting with Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, who is overseeing the administration’s push to overhaul the nation’s prison system. She appeared to preview the visit on her Twitter feed, writing- “Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson. Today is for you.”
A rare A-list celebrity to visit the White House since Mr Trump took office, Kardashian West was seen posing for photos in front of the West Wing before entering.
Attorney Brittany K. Barnett, a member of Johnson’s legal team, said Kardashian West had hoped to discuss the issue with Mr Trump directly.
In an interview with Mic released earlier this month, Kardashian West said she’d been moved by Johnson’s story after seeing a video by the news outlet on Twitter.
“I think that she really deserves a second chance at life,” Kardashian told Mic. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get her out.”
Kardashian West said in the interview she’d been in touch with Mr Kushner over the case and that, if she had the chance to bring it up with Mr Trump, she’d tell him, “I really do believe that she’s going to really thrive outside of prison, and I would just urge him to please pardon her.”
Mr Trump last week granted a rare posthumous pardon to boxing’s first black heavyweight champion, clearing Jack Johnson’s name more than 100 years after what many saw as a racially-charged conviction.
The boxer’s pardon had been championed by actor Sylvester Stallone, who Mr Trump said had brought the story to his attention in a phone call.