Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Trump pardons a former California lawmaker and a billionaire publisher

    President Trump has pardoned two more prominent conservatives who have personal ties to him. Conrad Black is a billionaire former media mogul and one of Trump’s old business partners.

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • May 16, 2019 • 1 min read

    President Trump has pardoned two more prominent conservatives who have personal ties to him. Conrad Black is a billionaire former media mogul and one of Trump’s old business partners. He was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice 12 years ago. The other is Pat Nolan, the former Republican leader in the California State Assembly in the ‘90s. He pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a massive FBI sting operation in Sacramento. Both men have completed their prison sentences.

    The full episode

    2 of 4
    Finding all the biodiversity in LA
    1. 0:00The future of PG&E, and whether any of California’s utilities can prevent wildfires
    2. 11:56Trump pardons a former California lawmaker and a billionaire publisherYou’re reading this
    3. 20:55Director of ‘The Souvenir’ on heroin addiction, attraction and the allure of cinema
    4. 33:26Finding wildlife in LA: falcons, bighorn sheep, turtles, and more
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Former Producer/Line Editor, Press Play

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Amy Ta

      Digital News & Culture Editor

    • KCRW placeholder

      Aaron Blake

      senior political reporter and author/host of “The Campaign Moment” newsletter and podcast for The Washington Post

      NewsPoliticsNational

    The full episode

    2 of 4
    Finding all the biodiversity in LA
    1. 0:00The future of PG&E, and whether any of California’s utilities can prevent wildfires
    2. 11:56Trump pardons a former California lawmaker and a billionaire publisherYou’re reading this
    3. 20:55Director of ‘The Souvenir’ on heroin addiction, attraction and the allure of cinema
    4. 33:26Finding wildlife in LA: falcons, bighorn sheep, turtles, and more
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand