- President Donald Trump pardoned a Navy sailor who took photographs of classified areas of a military submarine.
- The sailor, Kristian Saucier, served 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of unauthorized possession and retention of national defense information.
- It's Trump's second pardon, after he pardoned the former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt.
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Trump pardons Navy sailor who became conservative talking point after conviction for taking illegal photos on a submarine
In a campaign speech, Trump referred to the sailor as "the kid who wanted some pictures of the submarine."
President Donald Trump has pardoned a Navy sailor who took photographs of the classified areas of a military submarine.
Kristian Saucier pleaded guilty in 2016 to taking the photos inside the USS Alexandria in 2009. He served a 12-month prison sentence for the crime.
Trump referenced Saucier's case often on the campaign trail as he criticized his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.
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Saucier has said he merely wanted service mementos. But federal prosecutors said he was a disgruntled sailor who compromised national security and then obstructed the investigation by destroying a laptop and camera.
The news was announced by White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee at a briefing Friday. It is only Trump's second pardon, after the president pardoned Joe Arpaio, an ardent Trump supporter and former Phoenix sheriff who was convicted of criminal contempt, in August 2017.
"Now you can go out and have the life you deserve!" Trump said.
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