Features : Pras Hoping For Pardons For Both Himself & Tory Lanez: 'We All Gotta Play Our Part'

Pras is hopeful about getting a pardon from Donald Trump for his participation in a multi-billion dollar fraud scheme – and he’s hoping that Tory Lanez can get one too, just not from Trump.

Talking to TMZ while out in LA on Wednesday (March 5), the Fugees artist discussed his efforts with the current administration and shouted out Tory, who he hopes can get a pardon from California governor Gavin Newsom.

“It’s not a secret we working on a pardon, and my team, we hopeful that it’s gonna work out,” he said. “That’s all we can ask for. We believe the last justice department was probably a little bit egregious but that’s what we have justice for. You just gotta trust the process.

“At the end of the day, it’s always gonna be love for any president no matter what and he’s the current president so salute to him. All we can do is wish the best for him. We all gotta play our part. It’s only been 60 something days so we just gotta stand by him.”

He concluded: I wanna give a big shout out to my man also – free Tory Lanez! The president can’t pardon him because it’s a state situation; the president only pardons federal but the governor? Yeah. Big up to Tory Lanez. I see you baby!”

Pras and Trump have something of a relationship going back almost 30 years.

Trump, then a renowned property tycoon, appeared on Pras’ debut album Ghetto Supastar in the form of a voicemail.

“1st Phone Interlude” found the future president saying: “I have no doubt that you’re going to be a big success. To now, after knowing you, I know that you’re going to be right up there. And I hope very soon you’re going to be in the leagues with me. So good luck, man.”

Pras has not yet been sentenced but faces up to 22 years behind bars after being convicted in his conspiracy trial of charges such as failing to register as an agent of China.

The U.S. government is also coming after him for almost $65 million.

In December, federal prosecutors filed a motion for an order of forfeiture, seeking a judgment against the Fugees member for the amount of $64,923,226.40.

The figure stems from what the feds say is a total payment of $104.24 million from Malaysian businessman Jho Low to Pras as part of several “schemes” intended to influence government officials to end an investigation into whether Low embezzled from the investment fund 1MDB, as well as to send a Chinese national back to China.

Around $37 million of that total was dealt with in a related 2018 case, so the nearly $65 million mentioned in the new document is the amount left over