Trump going hard for a Black man wasn’t on our bingo card. Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson was the benefactor of President Trump commuting his prison sentence.
Ozy Media, a once promising media and entertainment company, was launched in 2013 by Watson and Samir Rao. They dedicated this corporation to sharing a new perspective on politics and culture while amplifying marginalized voices. Sounds great right? Behind closed doors, Watson was allegedly conniving and leading investors astray. Whether it was exaggerating finances or viewership, the enhancement of the truth came into public eye with the New York Times’ expose on a series of scandals at Ozy Media during 2021. Since then a slew of legal battles have been launched. And in March of 2023, Watson was arrested on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Watson claimed the charges were racially motivated and, while knowing what he did was wrong, stated that he believed that he didn’t think the charges were fair. While Watson came from a prestigious educational background, graduating from Harvard University and then later Stanford Law School, his ambitions grew, leading him to his demise.
This past Friday, President Trump commuted Carlos Watson's 116 month sentence for criminal fraud, just hours before his surrender. Additionally, Trump also commuted a one year sentence of probation for Ozy Media, leaving both Watson and his company free and uncharged. This act removes an order for both Watson and Ozy Media to pay almost 60 million in forfeiture and more than 36 million in reinstitution.
Trump going hard for a Black man wasn’t on our bingo card.