Kardashian goes to the White House to talk pardon

By JILL COLVIN and ANTHONY McCARTNEY

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West was heading to the White House Wednesday to make a star-powered case for prison reform and advocate on behalf of a great-grandmother serving a life sentence.

Kardashian West has urged the president to pardon Alice Marie Johnson, 63, who is serving a life sentence without parole for a nonviolent drug offense.

She said in the interview she’d been in touch with Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, over the case.

It’s unclear whether Kardashian West was meeting with Trump during the visit, though the president often invites visitors to the White House complex into the Oval Office for informal meetings and photo ops.

The White House declined to comment on the visit. Trump has talked about the need to get tougher on drug dealers, including suggesting that some should receive the death penalty. Kardashian West appeared to preview the visit on her Twitter feed, writing: “Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson. Today is for you.”

A 1997 Associated Press story on Johnson’s sentencing said she lead a multimillion-dollar drug ring.