President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of former Philadelphia union boss John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, who was serving six years for corruption. His attorney says Dougherty will be released "any hour now" with roughly $1.6 million in restitution wiped away.
President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, the former power broker of Philadelphia's electricians union who was serving a six-year federal prison term for corruption, his attorney confirmed Friday. Dougherty's lawyer, George Bochetto, said the president signed the commutation Thursday and that his client could walk free "any hour now."
The move also wipes away roughly $1.6 million in restitution Dougherty owed and clears him of any monitoring or house arrest. Bochetto described his client as "a free man" once released.
Dougherty, the longtime business manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, was sentenced in 2024 to six years in prison. Federal prosecutors said he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the union and funneled payouts to a Philadelphia City Council member as part of a corrupt quid pro quo arrangement.
He had roughly four years remaining on his sentence before Trump's commutation, according to his attorney.
Bochetto called the commutation "remarkable in its humanity" and said it was "equally as remarkable" that a Republican president granted it to a Democratic political figure. He said the decision demonstrates that "doing the right thing" can be a bipartisan endeavor and that he is "so proud" of Trump.
Known across Philadelphia as "Johnny Doc," Dougherty ran Local 98 for nearly three decades and was one of the most influential Democratic operatives in Pennsylvania politics. The union steered tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions to candidates over his tenure, giving him outsized sway over construction jobs and city hall politics.
His downfall began with a lengthy FBI investigation that led to a 2019 indictment. At trial, prosecutors detailed a scheme in which Dougherty kept Bobby Henon, a union electrician turned City Council member, on the union payroll in exchange for Henon's help protecting Local 98's grip on lucrative construction work.
Dougherty was convicted of eight counts, including conspiracy and honest services wire fraud, while Henon was convicted of ten counts, including bribery. Then-U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero, a Biden appointee, hammered Dougherty at the time, saying he "cheated Philadelphians" through his "corrupt quid pro quo" with Henon while presenting himself as Local 98's biggest booster.
Bochetto pointed to a deeply personal reason behind the timing of the release: Dougherty's wife is gravely ill. The attorney said he is "so happy for John, and particularly" for Dougherty's wife, "who will now have her husband by her side."
The commutation is the latest example of Trump using his clemency power to show mercy -- and, in this case, to reach across the partisan aisle. Dougherty was a fixture of Democratic machine politics in Philadelphia, making the Republican president's decision all the more striking to those who have followed the case.
"It's all true," Bochetto said when asked about reports that the commutation releases Dougherty from the $1.6 million restitution obligation and leaves him free of supervision.
Dougherty is expected to be released from federal custody within hours. His attorney said the former union leader will return to his family as a free man, with no remaining legal supervision.
The White House had not issued a formal statement by Friday morning. The commutation adds to a pattern of Trump granting relief in cases where supporters argue the punishment outpaced the crime, and it is likely to draw fresh attention to federal corruption prosecutions of union officials as the midterm campaign season heats up.
President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of former Philadelphia union boss John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, who was serving six years for corruption. His attorney says Dougherty will be released "any hour now" with roughly $1.6 million in restitution wiped away.
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