Trump Commutes Jail Sentence Of Sholom Rubashkin, Kosher Meat Exec

Image by Forward Montage

By Josh Nathan-Kazis December 20, 2017

Jailed kosher meat executive Sholom Rubashkin, whose Iowa-based meatpacking firm, Agriprocessors, was the subject of what at the time was the largest immigration raid in U.S. history, will go free following a commutation issued Wednesday evening by President Trump.

Rubashkin’s firm was the subject of a major Forward investigative series in 2006 and 2007. The Forward uncovered poor treatment of workers and animals at the plant.

In 2009, Rubashkin was found guilty of 86 counts of bank fraud and sentenced to 27 years in prison. In the years since, the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic group, of which he is a member, and other Orthodox Jews have campaigned for his freedom.

In a statement, the White House said that the commutation was not a pardon. “It does not vacate Mr. Rubashkin’s conviction, and it leaves in place a term of supervised release and a substantial restitution obligation,” the White House said.

Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at [email protected] or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis.

Josh Nathan-Kazis is a staff writer for the Forward. He covers charities and politics, and writes investigations and longform.

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