A man convicted of possession of crack cocaine who was serving a double life sentence in prison before his release under the First Step Act thanked President Trump and White House adviser Jared Kushner in a video Friday.
In a video posted by Trump supporter Kareem Lanier, Anthony Swatzie thanked Trump and Kushner, telling viewers that he saw “no way out” before the First Step Act, which allows those serving extended sentences for nonviolent offenses to petition for early release, became law last year.
“I didn’t see no way out,” Swatzie says in the video, which has been viewed tens of thousands of times. “But I kept fighting, and kept fighting, and kept fighting, man.”{mosads}
“I just want to thank Kushner, man, for pushing the bill,” he continues. “And President Trump for signing it.”
The video was later retweeted by Ivanka Trump, who is married to Kushner and also works as an assistant to the president at the White House.
The First Step Act allows some inmates like Swatzie to build up “earned time credits” for service in vocational and other educational programs, which serve as credits toward their total sentence and can lead to early release.
Court documents reveal that Swatzie petitioned a court as recently as 2013 and as far back as 2000 for his sentence to be reduced, only to be denied both times.