Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grants of Clemency

Reporting cited here

1. convicted

   The four former Blackwater contractors whom Trump later pardoned were convicted in 2014: Nicholas Slatten of first-degree murder, and Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard of voluntary manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, and firearms offenses arising from the Nisur Square shooting, which DOJ said killed 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians and wounded at least 17 people.

   Later Trump pardon relationship

   Jury convicted four Blackwater contractors for the Nisur Square shooting · Convicted October 22, 2014; pardoned December 22, 2020

2. documented

   In the case of the four Blackwater contractors Trump later pardoned, the D.C. Circuit vacated Nicholas Slatten's first-degree-murder conviction and remanded him for a new trial, affirmed Paul Slough's, Dustin Heard's, and all but one of Evan Liberty's convictions, and remanded those three for resentencing after finding their mandatory 30-year firearms terms unconstitutional as applied.

   Later Trump pardon relationship

   Appeals court vacated Slatten's first conviction and ordered resentencing for Slough, Liberty, and Heard · Slatten was retried; the other three were resentenced

3. convicted

   After Nicholas Slatten's first conviction was vacated and a 2018 retrial ended in mistrial, a second retrial produced another first-degree-murder verdict; on August 14, 2019, Slatten—whom Trump later pardoned—was sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia'y at Nisur Square.

   Later Trump pardon

   After retrial, Slatten received life without parole for first-degree murder · Life sentence later ended through full presidential pardon

4. convicted

   Before Trump pardoned them, Paul Slough was resentenced to 180 months, Evan Liberty to 168 months, and Dustin Heard to 151 months in prison on September 5, 2019 for their Nisur Square convictions; the sentencing judge expressly rejected any question about their factual guilt.

   Later Trump pardons

   Slough, Liberty, and Heard received new prison terms after appeal · Sentences later ended through full presidential pardons

5. documented
   Superseded · open corrected record

   Trump granted full pardons to Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard on December 22, 2020.

   Clemency entries for Slatten, Slough, Liberty, and Heard

   Trump erased the sentences of four Blackwater guards convicted over the Nisur Square killings · superseded evidence record

6. documented

   Donald Trump granted Dustin Heard a full pardon on 2020-12-22 concerning voluntary manslaughter, attempted manslaughter and firearm convictions.

   Paragraph naming Slatten, Slough, Liberty and Heard as full-pardon recipients.

   Trump granted full pardons to four Blackwater contractors convicted in the Nisur Square case · Full presidential pardons granted December 22, 2020

7. documented

   Donald Trump granted Evan Liberty a full pardon on 2020-12-22 concerning voluntary manslaughter, attempted manslaughter and firearm convictions.

   Paragraph naming Slatten, Slough, Liberty and Heard as full-pardon recipients.

   Trump granted full pardons to four Blackwater contractors convicted in the Nisur Square case · Full presidential pardons granted December 22, 2020

8. documented

   Donald Trump granted Nicholas Slatten a full pardon on 2020-12-22 concerning a first-degree murder conviction.

   Paragraph naming Slatten, Slough, Liberty and Heard as full-pardon recipients.

   Trump granted full pardons to four Blackwater contractors convicted in the Nisur Square case · Full presidential pardons granted December 22, 2020

9. documented

   Donald Trump granted Paul Slough a full pardon on 2020-12-22 concerning voluntary manslaughter, attempted manslaughter and firearm convictions.

   Paragraph naming Slatten, Slough, Liberty and Heard as full-pardon recipients.

   Trump granted full pardons to four Blackwater contractors convicted in the Nisur Square case · Full presidential pardons granted December 22, 2020

10. documented

    Donald Trump granted full pardons on December 22, 2020 to Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard, the four former Blackwater contractors whose Nisur Square convictions and sentences are recorded in separate events.

    Named full-pardon recipients

    Trump granted full pardons to four Blackwater contractors convicted in the Nisur Square case · Full presidential pardons granted December 22, 2020