Kim Kardashian urges Trump to pardon inmate facing execution today
- 10 Dec 2020
Kim Kardashian West may be the bellwether of high-end fashion and lifestyle, but she is also concerned about social and humanitarian causes.
In 2013, Kim visited an extremely ill admirer, Alissa, fulfilling the young girl's wish of meeting the celebrity herself.
She has been donating money to charities for years. For instance, she has held an auction on eBay and donated 10 per cent of the earnings to help victims of the Haiyan typhoon.
When she delivered her first girl North, she did not ask for baby gifts. Instead, she requested people to donate to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago.
Now, in another humanitarian bid, Kim Kardashian has urged Donald Trump to pardon a death row inmate.
Bernard’s execution is scheduled to take place on December 10, followed by that of Alfred Bourgeois on December 11. Another one, of death row inmate Lisa M Montgomery, is set for January 12.
The TV personality and activist shared the plea on social media on Wednesday.
The case she referred to is that of Brandon Bernard, now 40, who was convicted in 2000 of participating in a robbery scheme that ended with the murder of two people when he was 18.
“Brandon Bernard, a 40-year-old father, is going to be executed by our federal government. Having gotten to know Brandon, I am heartbroken about this execution,” Kardashian West tweeted.
“I’m calling on@realDonaldTrumpto grant Brandon a commutation and allow him to live out his sentence in prison.”
The Trump administration has resumed federal executions after a 17-year interruption. The first came in July 2020; seven more have taken place since.
The administration has planned more executions in the lead-up to Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Biden has publicly opposed the death penalty and has pledged to work against its use once he takes office.
Attorney General William Barr has told The Associated Press he’s likely to schedule more executions before he leaves the Justice Department.
Those who have advocated on behalf of Bernard have pointed to his age at the time of the events that resulted in his conviction, and have argued that he was an accomplice, rather than the ringleader.
Another man, Christopher Vialva, was executed in September this year after being convicted in the same case.
He was the first Black inmate to be executed since the Trump administration resumed federal executions.
Advocates for Bernard have asked for a commutation that would spare his life and see him serve a life sentence in prison.