Convicted sex offender R. Kelly has filed a formal request asking President Trump to commute his 30-year federal prison sentence, according to records shown on the Justice Department’s website.
The request became public this week after The Chicago Tribune first reported it. The Justice Department lists the matter as pending before the White House Office of the Pardon Attorney.
According to Rolling Stone, the online filing indicates Kelly is seeking a commutation, which would reduce his sentence, rather than a full pardon. Any supporting documents he may have submitted were not made public.
Kelly, 59, was convicted on all counts in 2021 in federal court in Brooklyn. Jurors found him guilty of racketeering, sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of children, kidnapping and forced labor.
In June 2025, his lawyer, Beau B. Brindley, asked for a new trial and also sought Kelly’s release on bond over health concerns and an alleged threat against his life. The judge has not ruled on the new-trial motion, and the bond request was denied.
