President Donald Trump pardoned James Philip Womack, the son of Congressman Steve Womack. White House officials cited family health issues.
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President Donald Trump has pardoned the son of a Republican lawmaker who was jailed for distributing methamphetamine.
On Thursday, January 15, President Trump commuted the federal sentence of James Phillip Womack, the son of Arkansas Congressman Steve Womack, according to a formal presidential pardon signed by President Trump and issued by the U.S. Department of Justice.
White House officials told USA TODAY that in addition to James Womack’s record of good behavior in prison, his family has had some recent health issues, including his mother being diagnosed with abdominal cancer and his brother suffering from a seizure disorder that makes it difficult for him to live alone.
The lawmaker’s son was fined $1,900 and sentenced to eight years in prison in May 2024 in federal court for distributing more than 5 grams of methamphetamine, according to court records. He had been arrested multiple times on drug charges.
With this reduced sentence, Womack will still be required to serve five years of supervised release.
The congressman did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment. He thanked President Trump in a statement to Arkansas television stations KTHV and KNWA.
“I am grateful for President Trump’s generous and thoughtful actions. The commute allowed my son to be with his family during a very difficult time, and the president’s phone conversation with his wife and his care team left an impression I will cherish forever,” the congressman said in a statement.
Womack is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and a former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
