R. Kelly seeks Presidential pardon from Donald Trump as lawyer alleges murder plot and retaliation in prison
R Kelly has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement after filing an emergency motion detailing threats against him.
R. Kelly is seeking a presidential pardon from Donald Trump as his legal team claims the disgraced singer’s life is in danger behind bars. His attorney, Beau Brindley, says they’ve been in contact with Trump’s associates, arguing that the former president is the only figure with both “the courage and the power” to intervene in what they describe as a deeply corrupt prosecution.
According to a report in Variety, Beau claims that Kelly, currently serving a 30-year sentence in a North Carolina prison for racketeering and sex trafficking, has been targeted by prison officials who allegedly attempted to orchestrate his murder. The claim was detailed in a recent emergency court filing, which also accuses government authorities of violating attorney-client privilege and using illicit tactics to secure Kelly’s conviction.
The filing includes a sworn declaration from Mikeal Glenn Stine, a terminally ill Aryan Brotherhood inmate, who says officials promised him freedom in exchange for killing Kelly. According to Beau, Mikael was transferred to Kelly’s prison with that intent but ultimately chose to warn him instead. A planned meeting between Beau and Mikael was abruptly canceled, and Mikael’s current whereabouts are unknown.
Since filing the motion, Beau says Kelly has been thrown into solitary confinement under inhumane conditions. He claims the singer has been denied food for several days, kept in unsanitary quarters, and barred from contacting his family—what the attorney describes not as protective custody, but retaliatory punishment for speaking out.
Beau now plans to supplement his filing with further details of what he says amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment.” He also insists that Trump, who has often spoken about alleged prosecutorial overreach, would understand Kelly’s predicament more than most.
A federal judge has scheduled a hearing on June 20 to determine whether the motion, filed in North Carolina rather than Chicago where Kelly was convicted, has proper jurisdiction. Beau hopes this legal challenge will not only ensure his client’s safety, but eventually help overturn the conviction altogether.
