President Trump granted a full pardon on Tuesday for former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr. in a corruption case in the 1990s that targeted former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards.
The move came as several prominent former NFL players visited the White House, including former 49ers star Jerry Rice.
DeBartolo had pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to report a felony, was fined $1 million and placed on two years of probation in return for his testimony against Edwards. Edwards was convicted of trying to extort $400,000 from DeBartolo to gain a riverboat casino license.
Mr. Rice met with the president along with former NFL greats including Jim Brown, Ronnie Lott and Charles Haley.
“I take my hat off to Donald Trump for what he did,” Mr. Rice told reporters.
He said DeBartolo “was like that 12th man that was on that football field.”
“He wanted us to win. And I think he’s the main reason why we won so many Super Bowls,” Mr. Rice said. “So today is a great day for him. I’m glad to be here and be a part of that. And, you know, it’s just something I’ll never forget. He has done so much in the community, he has done so much in NFL football.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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