Larry Hoover, the Chicago drug kingpin, saw significant progress in efforts to secure his freedom, culminating in a serendipitous encounter at Mar-a-Lago.
Joshua Dubin, a New York-based lawyer representing Hoover, revealed that he met with former President Donald Trump at his Florida resort several months prior.
This was part of a broader advocacy campaign that included multiple discussions between Hoover’s legal team and Trump, dating back to 2018.
On Wednesday, this persistent lobbying bore fruit when Trump announced he was commuting Hoover’s life sentence for a drug conspiracy conviction.
Dubin discussed how he casually mentioned Hoover during his meeting with Trump, highlighting the notorious nature of his client.
“The president immediately recognized the case,” Dubin recounted, adding that he was asked whether he believed Hoover had undergone rehabilitation.
Dubin emphasized Hoover’s written communications over the years, portraying his shift away from street life as a cautionary tale.
He reassured Trump about the low chances of recidivism, citing Hoover’s age of 74 as a contributing factor to this belief.
“That brief encounter wasn’t Trump’s first exposure to Hoover’s case,” he noted, recalling a pivotal moment in 2018 when musician Kanye West and Hoover’s lawyer, Justin Moore, visited Trump in the Oval Office.
At that time, Trump appeared unfamiliar with Hoover. West described him as an icon in Chicago and someone who was attempting to turn his life around.
The turning point in Hoover’s quest for clemency began when Alice Marie Johnson, a woman pardoned by Trump, attended a Free Larry Hoover concert featuring West and Drake in December 2021.
Johnson expressed an interest in Hoover’s cause, which led to increased discussions about his case once she was appointed as Trump’s “pardons czar.”
Moore explained how he traveled to meet Johnson to present evidence of Hoover’s alleged rehabilitation.
Following initial discussions, Hoover’s legal team submitted a comprehensive petition for commutation, which was approximately 200 pages long.
Dubin added that he met with Trump’s lawyers and Johnson for a presentation two weeks before the commutation was granted.
Their efforts culminated in a two-page document bearing Trump’s bold signature as he ordered Hoover’s immediate release from federal custody.
Following the commutation news, Hoover was described as ecstatic when contacted by Moore at the supermax federal prison in Colorado where he had been held.
“He was jubilant,” Moore stated. “I don’t think he thought this day would come. He hopes to get home one day to his family.”
Trump’s directive led to Hoover’s immediate release from the Bureau of Prisons, although uncertainty remains regarding his next location.
He could potentially end up in another federal facility or within the Illinois corrections system.
As of Friday, Hoover still appears on the Colorado Department of Corrections inmate list as serving a life sentence.
In light of his release, Hoover’s legal team is set to lobby Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for clemency from his state murder conviction, which carries an additional 200-year sentence.
However, initial responses from Pritzker’s office indicate disinterest in intervening on Hoover’s behalf.
Their statement asserted that Hoover would need to pursue parole or clemency through the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, a process that history shows has repeatedly denied his requests over the decades.
Opinions regarding Trump’s decision to grant Hoover clemency are sharply divided among political figures.
Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago, condemned the commutation, arguing that Hoover was a notorious gang leader responsible for numerous deaths.
He questioned the implications of this decision for law and order, reflecting a wider sentiment that Hoover’s release would lead to severe consequences.
Conversely, Illinois State Senator Willie Preston embraced the commutation as a moment of redemption, offering his personal perspective as someone who grew up in the same neighborhood as Hoover.
He acknowledged Hoover’s journey from gang leader to a figure advocating for peace and civic responsibility, framing it as a valuable narrative for society.
For Moore and Dubin, the fight is not over with federal clemency.
Dubin insisted that they would continue to advocate for Hoover, highlighting that Pritzker could act quickly to grant clemency with the stroke of a pen.
“It’s just unfortunate to hear the governor’s office already try to politicize this,” Dubin remarked, emphasizing that their mission transcends partisan lines.
The future of Larry Hoover remains unclear as he contemplates his next steps after the momentous commutation granted by Trump.
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