Article snippet: D’Souza is serving five years probation for illegally using straw donors to support Republican Senate candidate Wendy Long in 2012. He previously served eight months in a halfway house for the crime, which is a felony, and was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine. Soon after his guilty plea, D’Souza claimed he was targeted by the Obama administration for political reasons. "The Obama administration tried to shut me up," he said in his 2016 film, “Hillary’s America.” "If you make a film criticizing the most powerful man in the world, expect the empire to strike back." His case became a cause célèbre for some on the right, who cheered Trump’s decision. “Bravo! @realDonaldTrump Dinesh was the subject of a political prosecution, brazenly targeted by the Obama administration bc of his political views. And he’s a powerful voice for freedom, systematically dismantling the lies of the Left—which is why they hate him. This is Justice,” tweeted Sen. MORE (R-Texas). D’Souza’s clemency marks the fifth full pardon issued by Trump during his 17 months in office, with most of them going to well-known people. Trump has shown virtually no interest in going through the Justice Department’s formal process for pardons, prompting criticism he is using the power to protect political allies. Former Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former Bush administration official I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby are among those who have received a pardon from Trump. Like Arpaio and Trump, D’Souza... Link to the full article to read more