Kim Kardashian Visiting The White House To Talk About Alice Marie Johnson
Kim Kardashian and Jared Kushner have reportedly been having conversations for months about prison reform and Alice Marie Johnson in particular. Those conversations will culminate on Wednesday when Kim and her attorney step foot in the White House for a discussion first with Kushner and then with President Trump. Alice Marie Johnson was sentenced to life in prison for a first-time drug offense, and Kardashian is expected to argue for her release.
Prison reform holds special significance for Kushner. His father, Charles Kushner, served over a year in prison after being found guilty of disguising campaign donations as business expenses, tax evasion, and hiring a prostitute to entrap his brother-in-law according to Vanity Fair. That experience seems to have affected Jared deeply, and he has persisted in efforts at prison reform. His meeting with Kim Kardashian is one of many he has held with a variety of people including lawmakers, law enforcement officials, and evangelicals.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved the FIRST STEP Act that was introduced to Congress by Kushner in a 360 – 59 vote. It’s been well received and is widely seen as legislation that would make good, substantial progress toward prison reform. Its goal is to prepare inmates for life outside the jail cell by providing incentives for participation in job-training and drug-addiction programs and letting non-violent criminals to complete the end of their sentence in a halfway house or under home confinement. President Trump has stated that he will sign the bill if it clears both houses of Congress.
Kim Kardashian West to meet Trump at White House to talk prison reform: report https://t.co/fUfbhg9QnR pic.twitter.com/7zBwuKCqUs
— The Hill (@thehill) May 30, 2018
When Kim Kardashian arrives at the White House, it will be without cameras, a publicist, or family members. She will present a legal argument for the release of 62-year-old Alice Johnson who has served over 20 years of a life sentence for a first-time drug offense. Kardashian reached out to Ivanka Trump after seeing Johnson’s story on Twitter. Ivanka connected her with Jared. In a recent interview, Kim said that, if given the opportunity to speak with President Trump, she would explain that we all make bad decisions that we regret because we don’t think through the consequences. Although Trump has stated that he would sign the FIRST STEP Act if it’s approved by both houses, it runs counter to the direction taken by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to be more harsh on first-time drug offenders, not more lenient.
After Kardashian’s meeting at the White House, Jared and his wife Ivanka Trump will host the KUWTK star for dinner in their home.
