President Donald Trump has granted clemency to the son of a Republican congressman who was serving a federal prison sentence tied to methamphetamine distribution.
Trump commuted the sentence of James Phillip Womack, the son of Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas, on Thursday, Jan. 15, according to records from the Office of the Pardon Attorney. A federal Executive Grant of Clemency issued through the U.S. Department of Justice formally announced the commutation.
In a statement shared with Arkansas outlets KTHV and KNWA, the congressman thanked Trump for the decision.
“I am grateful to President Trump for this gracious and thoughtful action,” he said. “The commutation has allowed my son to be with his family during a profoundly difficult time, and the President’s phone conversation with my wife and her care team made an impression that I’ll cherish forever.”
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Federal sentence and supervised release
According to the Office of the Pardon Attorney, James Womack was sentenced in federal court in May 2024 to an $1,900 fine and eight years in prison after being convicted of distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine.
His federal sentence also included five years of supervised release, which remains in place, according to KTHV, KNWA, and KATV.
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Case background and past arrests
Federal prosecutors indicted Womack in April 2023, according to court documents referenced by Arkansas outlets. In addition to the meth-related charge, the indictment also included an allegation that he possessed a firearm as a convicted felon.
The commutation comes as the Trump administration has pointed to drug trafficking as a national security concern in other contexts, and as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota and elsewhere have included alleged drug traffickers.
Womack has a record of arrests stretching back to 2007, KTHV reported, citing court documents.
He was arrested again in 2018 and faced more than 10 charges, including multiple counts related to drugs and firearms, according to KTHV and KNWA. He later reached a plea agreement in that case, was sentenced in state court to nine years for multiple felony charges, and was released early in 2020, but was arrested again later, according to KNWA.
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Congressman previously spoke publicly about addiction
After the 2018 arrest, Rep. Steve Womack — who has represented Arkansas’s 3rd congressional district since 2011 — released a statement describing his family’s experience with addiction.
“Like so many families across this nation, our family has been dealing with a loved one’s addiction,” he said in a statement obtained by KTHV. “The most recent arrest of our son adds to that pain. We love him unconditionally; however, as an adult, he is accountable for the choices he’s made.”
He added that the family respected the legal process.
“We honor and respect the criminal justice system that will decide his fate,” he said. “I truly regret that he has put himself and his family in this difficult situation.”
“Nothing is more devastating than to see a loved one struggle with addiction,” he continued. “It is the hardest thing I’ve ever faced, and I know we are not alone. Addiction is eating away at the soul of our country. This is a very difficult time for our family — we ask simply for your prayers.”
