President Trump granted a posthumous pardon to Dr. Zay Jeffries, an engineer who contributed to the Manhattan Project and was “crucial” to the U.S. effort to win World War II.
Jeffries, a metallurgist, was indicted in 1941 for violating anti-trust laws, but had his prosecution deferred until after the war by President Franklin Roosevelt. The White House released a statement on Thursday announcing that Jeffries’ 1948 conviction has been pardoned by Trump.
“Dr. Jeffries was crucial to the United States war effort in World War II,” the statement read. “His efforts enabled the United States to develop artillery shells capable of piercing the armor of German tanks, and his contributions to the Manhattan Project helped end the war in the Pacific theater.”
The White House said that given the number of years between his indictment and conviction, the Justice Department “grounded its legal theory on a Supreme Court precedent that did not exist when Dr. Jeffries was originally indicted.”
“Reportedly, the judge in the case was apologetic in handing down his sentence, which was a $2,500 fine with no jail time,” the statement read.
Even with the criminal conviction, in 1948 Jeffries was given the Presidential Medal for Merit by President Harry Truman for helping the U.S. military during the war.
The White House said that among others, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and former Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy lobbied in favor of pardoning Jeffries.
