racing debartolo and president trump. river this week he signed an executive order granting clemency to debartolo pardoning him for his involvement in a gambling scandal. debartolo pled guilty to failing to report a felony after paying $400,000 to edwin edwards in exchange for a riverboat gambling license and he avoided prison but was fined $1 million and suspended for a year and give up his ownership of the 49ers. at the white house jerry rice said the team success but in large part because of eddie. >> he was like the fourth man that was on the football field. you know that he wanted us to win. i think he is the main reason why we won so many superballs. today is a great day for him. i am glad to be here to be a part of that. >> along with charles haley and ronnie lott they were all there to share the same sentiments toward debartolo say they were pleased with president trump's decision and his ownership the team won five super bowls. michelle? >> thank you so much, jackie. >>> a headache for some commuters when a bomb

that's denise debartolo york. she has since handed over control to her son, jed york, who is eddie d's nephew. don't expect eddie d to return in any official capacity. however, today's pardon might open the door for other ownership opportunities. >> we'll be right back. tv just keeps getting better. how you watch it does too. this is xfinity x1. featuring the emmy award-winning voice remote. streaming services without changing passwords and input. live sports - with real-time stats and scores. access to the most 4k content. and your movies and shows to go. the best tv experience is the best tv value. xfinity x1. simple. easy. awesome. xfinity. the future of awesome. you know, the happiest place on earth, but... have you flown the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy? or channeled your inner jedi? you gotta love that... have you raced through radiator springs? or struck a power pose with them? now is the perfect time to feel like this... and this... and definitely that. kids enjoy the magic for just $67 per child per

. >> eddie debartolo, jr. was convicted of bribing louisiana's governor in hopes of securing a riverboat gambling license . >> at the end of the day his cooperation got him a lighter sentence. >> eddie debartolo, jr. was fined $1 million and served a one-year suspension from the nfl. he sold the team and hasn't been back in for paul's good graces. the president's inner circle makes appeals on behalf of a wide range of potential pardoned recipients. the list of seven including eddie debartolo, jr. is different . >> trump seems the only pardoned well-connected people. when you put it in the broader context of the pattern of the pardons he gives out, it is striking. >> the glaring lack of a diverse group can cheapen the constitutional power of a presidential party. >> calls into question whether you're just doing favors. you really don't want to have that be part of the mix. >> now that the records of seven former convicts have been wiped clean. some fans are speculating the eddie debartolo, jr. may try to get ba

he has pardoned former san francisco 49erss owner eddie debartolo. and this came out off nowhere. >> it is a genuine surprise, because debartolo is well thought of by san francisco fans, and this is back to the "revelations" documentaryto abo the 49ers and he was looking for abe riverboat gambling license louisiana and the governor there demanded a cash bribe t to get . and debartolo paid the bribe and found guilty of not reporting the bribe to the authorities and paid a fine and agreed to testify against the governor and voluntarily handed over control to his sister who owns it to this t day. >>> this morning, one of the president's press attaches for debartolo and jerry rice was thereor and pushing president trump to make a pardon and jim brown is in the crowd, and here is rice and the former 49er. >> so, basically, you know, i think that what is with eddie and what he has accomplished and what he has done on and off of the football field and the charity work and just being great, and trying to be the greatest of all time. and you know, i tip my ha

eddie debartolo, jr. was convicted in a bribery scheme. >>> experts noticed the similarities. jesse gary is live in santa clara up with reaction to the presidents pardoning. >> good afternoon to you. the president has constitutional authority that experts say mr. trump is doing so at a irregular time and only to those with fame, money, power, or all the above. >> the one common thread seems to be some personal connection to the president. typically that is what people try to avoid. >> tuesday president trump followed through with recommendations and pardons seven people including the former 49ers owner, eddie debartolo, jr. . >> this man has done so much in the community and so much in nfl football. >> he purchased the team in the 70s guiding the 49ers the glory in the 1980s and 90s capturing five super bowl titles along the way. i am happy about them and their careers and what they gave me as a fan. >> in 1998 he was convicted of bribing louisiana's governor in hopes of getting a riverboat gambling license. >> at the end of the day his cooperation got him a lighter sentence.

. >> debartolo bought the 49ers in the 70s. . >> but in 1998, debartolo was involved in a scandal. >> at the end of the day, his cooperation got him a lot light lighter sentence. . >> he was fined 1 million $1 million and served a 1 year suspension. he sold the team and hasn't been back in football's good graces. but tuesday's list of seven including debartolo is a little bit different. >> trump seems to only pardon well-keked people. when you put it in the pattern of the pardons president trump gives out, it's striking. >> the glaring lack of a diverse group can cheapen the constitutional power of a presidential power. >> you really don't want to have that be part of the mix. >> but it is part of the mix now that the records of seven former convicts have been wiped clean. >> some are speculating he might try to get back into the nfl by buying another team. ktvu fox 2 news. >>> time is 4:51. let's get you to where you need to go. allie rasmus watching our commute. >> yeah. folks getting to where they need to go this morning. it's a pretty nice commute. though problems there. westbound

you keep pardoning people who don't deserve it added a third. >> the idea that people like debartolo are the most pressing recipients of mercy, it's hard to square. >> reporter: he was inducted into the football hall of fame in 2016. he hasn't had an official role in the 49ers in years. some wonder if a presidential pardon might pave a way to the return of the game he loves. >> some fans, not necessarily just of the 49ers talking about the possibility of him coming back to football. so in a sense it does offer some kind of social permission, some cover for the idea that this person is not persona non grata anymore. >> reporter: the pardon caught many off guards. for many it's illicitted concern and confusion. the 49ers officially said they have no comment. devin fehely, kpix 5. >> in addition to pardoning debartolo, he granted clemency to 10 others, including a few people in some notorious cases. among them the former governor of illinois rod blagojevich and a former nypd commissioner who served time for tax fraud. >>> flames hit up a house in pleasant hill overnight. that fire broke

she since handed over control to her son who is debartolo's nephew. >>> the hatest poll shows bernie sanders as the clear front-runner here in california. the public policy institute of california poll shows sanders is getting 32% of the vote. former vice president joe biden and massachusetts senator elizabeth warren are second and third with 14 and 13%. they've dropped more than 10% in the polls since january. former mayors michael bloomberg and pete buttigieg are both at 12%. the survey comes before tonight's presidential debate here on nbc bay area. >>> today santa clara county will be showing off new electronic voting equipment ahead of super tuesday. the equipment is called the voters choice act model. voters could check in with the new e poll and submit their ballot that finds errors before the vote is cast. new high speed voting machines are being used as primary to tally up numbers santa clara county sensors will be open to the public this saturday. we posted a voter guide highlighting issues in every county. just head to nbcbayarea.com/election guide. >>> 4:52 now. working t

. >>> president trump tweeted this photo of eddie debartolo jr. and his family moments after the president pardoned the owner of the 49ers. he did not serve time in prison, but the nfl forced him to give up control of the team, which had won five super bowls during his tenure. debartolo was joined at the white house by a group of 49ers in support of this surprising decision by the president. he has done so much in the community, today is a great day for him. >> some experts say the pardon could open the door to debartolo being involved in sports management once again. >>> the president pardoned a number of other high profile figures today, including this man, former governor of illinois rod blagojevich. blagojevich has served eight years of a 14-year sentence in federal prison. he was convicted of trying to sell the senate seat of then president-elect barack obama. >>> president trump paid a short this evening. he signed a document in los angeles, pledging the federal government's full support to the city which is hosting the 2028 olympics. presid

. >>> so what now for former 49ers owner eddie debartolo? he's been pardoned by president trump and there's a lot of speculation that he might return to the nfl or perhaps another sports league. that's not going to happen. as we reported yesterday, eddie d along with family and hall of fame players met with the president in the oval office. he was pardoned for committing a felony in the late '90s linked to a bribery scheme. today debartolo's closest advisers told me he will not pursue any ownership opportunities in any sport. he has zero stake in the 49ers after transferring control of the team to his sister 20 years ago. now, the 73-year-old debartolo will continue to run his real estate business based in tampa and will work with the golden heart fund, which supports 49ers alumni. >>> making it in the bay. our series about our housing crisis. too little housing and too much homelessness. that was the message in today's state of the state address. governor newsom calling the crisis a disgrace and proposed access to a new housing fund to inve

. >>> president trump tweeted this photo of eddie debartolo jr. and his family moments president pardoned the owner of the 49ers. he did not serve time in prison, but the nfl forced him to give up control of the team, which had won five super bowls during his tenure. debartolo was joined at the white house by a group of 49ers in support of this sur the pres. he has done so much in the community, today is a great day for him. >> some experts say the pardon could open the door to debartolo being involved in sports management once again. >>> the president pardoned a number of other high profile arof snc.oday, including this hs ferahe of then president-elect barack obama. >>> president trump paid a short this evening. he signed a document in los angeles, pledging the federal government's full support to the city which is hosting the 2028 olympics. president trump then attended a fundraising dinner beverly hills. this is his fourth visit to california as president. before he left, he slammed the democratic leadership of both l.a. and san francisco. the

won five super bowl's under debartolo's leadership. the president is also set to commute the sentence of wrongful cleavage, who was sent to prison for corruption. blue boy of it, a democrat, was convicted for his alleged efforts to auction off the u.s. senate seat left vacant when barack obama won the presidency. is slappings sanctions on a unit of russian oil giant rosneft for helping venezuela skirt embargoes on its oil. senior administration officials warned anyone in the world doing business with rosneft could also be sanctioned. it is part of the campaign to push venezuelan president nicolas maduro to step down the worst locust outbreak in parts of east africa in 70 years has reached south sudan. the outbreak is threatening to decimate crops and a country where about half of the population is already facing hunger. the locusts have traveled in swarms the size of major cities. officials say the number of insects could grow up to 500 times by june when dry weather begins. global news 24 hours a day, on-air, and on quicktake by bloom

eddie debartolo also ended up pleading guilty to a felony in that case. he only avoided prison himself by agreeing to testify against governor edwards, mr. money belt. as of today, though, eddie debartolo has a clean slate because he was one of 11 people granted clemency by president trump. and to be honest, eddie debartolo comes off looking like kind of the all tar boy of the group compared to the others who were pardoned or had their ns its commuted by the president today, including former illinois governor rod blagojevich who was in the middle of serving a 14-year prison sentence for essentially trying to sell president barack obama's old senate seat. president trump commuted the sentence of a woman serving a 35 year prison sentence for orchestrating a $205 million medicare fraud. then there was the construction company owner who was convicted of underpaying his taxes. hundr thousands of dollars in direct contributions and in-kind air travel to the trump victory committee. they've also made large donations to the rnc and to donald trump for president.

. >>> president trump has just tweeted out pictures of eddie debartolo jr. and his family in the oval office in what we believe were moments after the president pardoned the frighteningers. as abc7 news reporter chris wynn explains, it caught a lot of people by surprise. >> reporter: outside the white house. >> he has done. so in the community. he has done so much in nfl football. today is a great day. >> reporter: this after president trump signed an executive order pardoning the former 49ers owninger who in 1998 pleaded guilty. leadership experts say pardon when's used ju deshsly can be a valuable part of process of the. >> somebody recognizes responsibility for what they've done wrong. maybe made an attempt to make amends. it can be a really powerful signal to recognize that kind of transformation. >> reporter: however, some believe president trump's high number of pardons to those to whom he has personal relationships can call into question the validity of the action, it less meaningful. despite this, many fans still appreciate him. highlighting the five

the president pardoned former 49ers owner eddie debartolo this photo showing him by his side. debartolo pleaded guilty in over a riverboat gamble beiing license. >> he's been an incredible friend, incredible owner, and we'll always be indebted to him. >> this man has done so much in the community. has done so much in nfl football, and today is a great day for him. >> debartolo did not serve any jail time but did pay $1 million in fines. the scandal caused him to relinquish control of the team to his sister. the president said he's going to commute the sentence of rob blagojevich. he has been serving in federal prison since 2012. he was convicted of trying to sell the senate seat of then senator barack obama. >>> jury deliberations in the harvey weinstein trial begin today. they deliberated about five hours before leaving for the day. they will return tomorrow morning. new york prosecutors have charged the former movie mogul with sexual assault charges. >> i see it as an act of desperation to try to appeal to the jury, that i glad the prosecutionht it to the court's attention.

. >> reporter: eddie debartolo, jr. was convicted of bribing louisiana's gambler. >> it was a huge scandal was serious charges. his cooperation got him a much lighter sentence. >> he testified against the governor and avoided a prison sentence. he was fined $1 million and sold the team and has not been back in football's good graces. traditionally the president's inner circle will make appeals on a wide range of recipients. tuesday's list of seven in closing, in a vacuum is not unusual. when you put it in a broader context of the pardons he gives out, it is striking. >> the glaring lack of a diverse group can cheapen the constitutional power of a presidential pardon. >> calls into question whether or not you're just doing favors for people close to you. you don't want that is part of the mix. >> the records of seven former convicts have been wiped clean. some are speculating that eddie debartolo, jr. may try to get back into the nfl . ktvu fox2 news . >>> president trump commuted a 14 year prison sentence of former illi

. >>> we have exclusive information about eddie debartolo jr. as we reported yesterday, eddie d along with family and players met with president trump. the president pardoned him on a charge in the 1990s. his viadvisers tell me he will t pursue any ownership opportunity in any sport. he has zero stake in the 49ers. the 73-year-old debartolo will continue to run his business in tampa. >>> a federal judge is demanding answers on how pg&e inspectors missed dramatic wear and tear on electrical towers close to the one that started the deadly camp fire. these are photos of a power line next to the one that started the fire. hooks holding up the power line are wearing away, which is what's blamed for the camp fire. an attorney representing fire victims said she wanted the judge to see for himself what pg&e inspectors have been missing for years. >> the concern is that pg&e may be missing critical issues that affect the safety of the community that they serve. >> the judge gave the utility two weeks to explain how it missed that wear and tear. pg&e says

. >> debartolo bought the team in the 70s. capturing five super bowl titles along the way. >> those guys were who they were a lot because of eddie and i'm happy about them. their careers and what they gave me as a fan. it was a lot of fun. >> in 1998, debartolo was convicted of bribing the louisiana governor. >> this was a huge scandal but at the end of the day his cooperation got him a lot lighter sentence. >> debartolo testified and avoided a prison sentence. he was fined 1 $1 million and served a 1 year suspension from the nfl. he sold the team and hasn't been back in football's good graces. the president's inner circle makes appeals on behalf of a wide range of pardon recipients. >> it's a little unusual in the sense that trump seems to only pardon well-connected people. but when you put it in the broader context of the pat reason of the pardons that trump gives out, it's striking. >> emphasis say the glaring lack of diverse group can cheapen the constitutional power of a presidential pardon. >> it calls into question whet

trump pardoned edward debartolo jr. for his fraud conviction. >> chris has that part of story. >> reporter: outside the white house tuesday morning, a makeshift celebration of sorts for multiple nfl greats eddie debartolo jr. tell fanlt in the room is, we

the president signed an executive order of clemency granting a full pardon to eddie debartolo jr. a case that eventually led to louisiana governor getting sent to federal prison. those are the ceremony at the white house. charles hayley, ronnie lot, and jerry rice. >> 30 years ago, i got the opportunity to play the great greatest game ever, nfl funl and it was because of eddie dubartlo. that's really what they stood for and that's the reason why i think we won so many championships and so many ball games. >> debartolo avoided prison. served two years probation and eventually turned over the franchise to his sister denise debartolo. . >>> new at noon, local lawmakers introducing a new law to help hold utilities accountable for wild fires. assembly member rebecca bower cahill. the bill would expand enforcement options on utility companies that failed to comply with safety standards and requirements and put the public at risk. >> we've brought this bill forward because our state is facing dyer circumstances. by giving local jurisdictions the power to enforce existing safety regulatio

debartolo wasn't one? bernie karik a man i know and admired many years, worked for guiliani, worked for the govr s government, he's part of that circle? come on, congressman, they're all part of the circle that you said he would be better than and he's just the same at best. >> the good thing the president has authority to do pardons yes. >> the president is serious about criminal justice reform. the pardons today will continue the conversation about criminal justice reform. if the american people are offended by these pardons, they'll have a new ability to choose a new president in november. the one thing about these pardons compared to pardons from previous presidents, the president is transparent about that. >> that is true. >> he did it today. he justified his pardons. >> that is true. >> and if the democrat candidates for president think that they can run a successful presidential campaign based on a pardon -- >> that is true. >> blagojevich, after he saved eight years, they have more -- >> he hides n

started this morning with several nfl legend here at the announcing eddie debartolo, former president of the san francisco 49 others. the president would do the same for rod blagojevich, former governor of illinois. bernie kerik as well, a fixture in new york city where you are. after that, moments ago we also learned michael milkin also received a pardon. those four will grab a lot of spotlight whether you're in san francisco, new york, in the investment world, sports world, whatever corner you might touch. maybe you recognize one of those names but i would also point out, charles, the white house says says 11 different individuals today have been granted a pardon or sentence commutation, in total today by president trump. this comes as the president is set to head out west. he is currently aboard air force one for a four-day, four-state stop out to the west coast and one of those stops that the president is going to make is in nevada in a couple days which he will take place in a prisoner graduation program. the point there being, charles, the president long touted criminal justice

, turned over the franchise to his sister, denise debartolo york who owns the 49ers. his nephew jay york runs the team. under debartolo they won five super bowls. >>> overturned big rig backed up traffic for hours. the chp says a honda civic collided with the big rig shortly after it overturned. this happened around 4:45 this morning. the truck was finally uprighted and cleared from the lanes under an hour ago. no serious injuries were reported. >>> the diridon train station in san jose is back open after a bomb threat closed the station for two hours this morning. it delayed caltrain service. the station was closed after authorities received a bomb threat. a bomb squad swept the station but did not find anything and the station was reopened by about 7:45 this morning. >>> happening today, teams in west marin county are continuing their efforts to find a missing bay area couple who had rented a vacation cottage in inverness. they never checked out. cristina rendon reports they haven't been seen or heard from since friday. >> reporter: volunteers back out again searchi

commissioner bernard kerrick, financier michael milken, and former san francisco 49ers owner eddie debartolo. >> i take my hat off to donald trump for what he did, like i said, it's all about being here for eddie today. >> on his way to the west coast, president trump also responded on camera to the first time it to attorney general bill barr's public rebuke to his tweets about the roger stone case. >> making it impossible for me to do my job. >> the president today acknowledged he has a point. >> i do make his job harder, i agree with that -- i think that's true. he's a straight shooter, just so you understand, i chose not to be involved. i'm allowed to be totally involved. i am the chief law enforcement officer of the country. >> the judge in the stone case found no reason to delay his scheduled sentencing on thursday despite a petition from stone's attorney for a new trial. the association representing hundred federal judges called an emergency meeting to discuss what it sees as interference by the president and political appointees in the doj in the administration of justice. perhaps wit

trump pardoned edward debartolo jr. for his fraud conviction. >> chris has that part of story. >> reporter: outside the white house tuesday morning, a makeshift celebration of sorts for multiple nfl greats eddie debartolo jr. tell fanlt in the room is, we all make mistakes. today the president cleared that mistake. >> this after president trump signed an executive order pardoning the former 49ers open here in 1998 pleaded guilty to failing to report a felony in a bribery case. despite this, many 49ers fans still appreciate him. highlighting the five super bowl championships under his championship. >> bay area sports consultant andy dolish said it leaves open another possibility. >> ultimately it gives eddie a clearer path if in fact he's interested in purchasing a team or being part of a group that will buy a team he in pro sports. >> leadership experts say pardoned when used judiciously can be a valuable part of a reconciliation process. >> someone makes attempts to make amends. it can be today really powerful signal t

and eddie debartolo jr. the san francisco 49ers owner. several nfl greats celebrating his pardon. >> i take my hat off to donald trump for what he did. >> reporter: all coming days before the president's friend roger stone is set to be sentenced. and the president acknowledging attorney general william barr's complaint that he's making it impossible for him to do his job. >> i do make his job harder. i do agree with that. i think that's true. he's a very straight shooter. >> reporter: but on stone, he insists, so far, no decision. >> i haven't given it any thought. but i think he's been treated very unfairly. >> our thanks to peter alexander for that report. >>> meanwhile, president trump has suggested filing lawsuits over former special counsel robert mueller's probe. trump wrote on twitter, in part, everything having to do with the fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and in my opinion should be thrown out. the whole deal was a total scam. if i wasn't president i'd be suing everyone all over the place. but maybe i still will. witch

this applies to eddie debartolo, ro roger goodell pushed for him. angela stanton, praised trump on fox news. that's one list. let's look at the other list of folks, paul pogue who contributed to the trump campaign. presidents have given pardons to contributors before. you mentioned marc rich. we're in the midst of a campaign. re-election campaign by trump. as a lawyer, is that problematic? >> no. legally, no. i mean, the president's pardon power is almost completely unfettered short of it being corrupt. but without that link, the president has tremendous power to grant pardons. usually ones this controversial are done at an 11th hour, usually in a lame-duck session, not in the midst of a campaign for all to see. but, look, the president no doubt viewed his acquittal and impeachment trial as a big win. and the pardons, the comments about roger stone, the other comments about his powers as the chief executive, he is doing a victory lap. he is -- the democrats had their most powerful tool in their arsenal they used against him and he's still standing,

we just learned that president trump has pardoned eddie debartolo junior, the former san francisco 49 ers owner, convicted in a gambling fraud scandal. debartolo junior who built the san francisco niners in the 80's and 90's won 5 super bowls with them. he was involved in one of the biggest owners scandals in sports history in 1990 80 pleaded guilty to failing to report a felony when he paid $400,000 to former louisiana governor edwin edwards. in exchange for a riverboat gambling license. >>all right in other bay area sports news this year, the giants will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their 2010 world series team, however, aubrey huff a key player on that squad will not be part of those festivities, the giants decided not to invite him to the reunion after insensitive remarks were made by him on twitter job in november as january trial in a statement that he said that his comments were quote unacceptable and run counter to the values of the organizations. off i was shocked by the fact he shot back saying quote if you're watching for me that would be having a reunion. the full

legendary 49ers giving praise to president trump tonight for his move to pardon former niners owner eddie debartolo jr. >> they were all at the white house in a show of support. he pled guilty for his role if a $400,000 bribery scheme involving a river boat license in louisiana. he was fined a million dollars and sentenced to 2 years probation. that's when he transferred team ownership to his sister. but his exile from football did little to change his greatness in the eyes of players and fans. >> you know, this man, he has done so much in the community, has done so much in nfl football. >> as a fan, i think we understand we make mistakes. but i think it was a good hiswitching rirag underwayg >> and not in spector dennis o'donnell is live in scottsdale. hi dennis. >> reporter: elizabeth, ken, the giants won't win many games this season. we know that. so they plan to celebrate the glory days. in august they're bringing back the 2010 world championship team. everybody's coming, except one guy, aubrey huff. huff was one of the best players this baseball in 2010, and a big reason why they broke a 56 ye

president trump granted pardons to 11 people including michael milken, eddie debartolo, jr., and commissioner bernard kerik which were convicted on fraud and corruption charges. president trump did not say if you would pardon roger stone who is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow. >>> coming up on kpix 5 news at 12:00, a professional snowboarder jumps into action to save people from an avalanche and it is caught on camera. >>> charity is one click away and how technology is making it easier than ever for people to give back. >>> we are in the 50s and the 60s with a beautiful live look with her cliff house ocean beach camera this afternoon. we what you know how it will affect our weather here in the bay area coming up. >> and do not forget we are streaming right now on cbsn bay area, and you can find us on www.kpix.com, the cbs news app, or your favorite platform. vo: a great president and an effective mayor. leadership that makes a difference. obama: he's been a leader throughout the country for the past twelve years, mr. michael bloomberg is here. vo: together they worked to combat gun violen

and just the feel of these guys when you bring them together, kerik, debartolo and blago, they feel like the kind of guys that trump's base would champion. but again i want to point out, none of them -- no one has gone through any of the analysis of who gets a pardon and why. he's got the raw power. but it is always in the past been exercised according to procedures through professional people and that is thrown out with the stone sentencing. >> and in the last days of december this year, if he wins or losing, say if he loses, could he go through some of the congressman and hire the relatives and fire the staff and just say screw you, i'm going to enjoy the job and the last three months i'll go to my cousins in the house. i've seen this happen. >> very quickly the answer is yes. >> thank you so much. coming up, we'll stick together here. the case against roger stone is just put the justice department in turmoil and the latest tweets aren't helpful. we're in full crisis mode now and we'll talk about that next. if your adventure... keeps turning into unexpected bathroom trips. you may have

and eddie debartolo. tuesday president trump also revealed how he makes his clemency decisions. >> i rely on recommendations of people that know them. >> reporter: in the case of bernie kerik that included the encouragement of rudy giuliani and that of former navy s.e.a.l. eddie gallagher whose demotion was overturned by the president last year following charges of war crimes. in all the president issued four commutations and seven pardons. skyler henry, cbs news, washington. >>> a new case of the coronavirus has surfaced in california. the patient is hospitalized in napa where a second case is now under investigation. the patients were among those eacuated from the quarantined cruise ship in japan. today hundreds of passengers were finally able to disembark. about 500 passengers are expected to leave today. 88 new cases of the coronavirus surfaced on the ship, bringing the total number to 542 confirmed cases. 14 american passengers tested positive after they were evacuated and flown to military bases in

. >> president trump tweeted this photo of eddie debartolo jr. after he was pardoned. he pled guilty to failing to report in 1998. he did not serve prison time but the nfl forced him to give up control of the team. the niners won five super bowls during his tenure. he was joined at the white house by a group of 49ers. >> he has done so much in the community. he has done so much in nfl football. today is a great day for him. >> debartolo's supporters say the pardon could open the door to his return to sports management. >>> february is black history month and abc7 news is celebrating by featuring people making history in the bay area. i had the privilege of sitting down with the first african-american woman appointed to california's court of appeals. it's been a long journey for justice terry jackson. she says she and her sister were the first to integrate their schools and their neighborhood. as of january justice jackson assumed her new role in the 1st district court of appeal. >> this is what i'm doing because i love it so much but i cannot dismiss or minimize that i

> some 49ers greats praise president trump today as he granted clemency to former 49ers owner eddie debartolo. jerry riceat the white house today showing their support. >> san francisco police looking for help finding this man. he's wanted for assault after attacking workers inside a gary boulevard restaurant earlier this month, throwing his phone, some counter items, and even a burrito. >> and nearly 200 people have been given the all clear to go home from travis air force base. they boarded charter buses earlier today, and we were there as some of the buses arrived at sfo this afternoon. after a final screening, the group was given a clean bill of health. >>> the coronavirus is starting to take a greater toll on the bay area tech industry. here's more on how facebook is feeling the fallout. >> let's talk about facebook, because it canceled its upcoming in conference in san francisco, that's a big deal. >> it is a big deal. it's not maybe their biggest public facing show, but it's a big marketing conference for facebook, expected to bring about 4,000 or 5,000 people to ink t ism. those peopl

city police commissioner berni kerik convicted of tax fraud and lying to the government, and eddie debartolo jr., the former san francisco 49ers owner who pleaded guilty following his failure to report a bribe in a gambling fraud scandal. several former nfl greats today celebrating his pardon >> i take my hat off to donald trump for what he did. >> reporter: all of it coming two days before the president's friend roger stone is set to be sentenced, amid fierce criticism of president trump for intervening in justice department criminal cases. the president tonight acknowledging attorney general william barr's complaint that he's making it impossible for him to do his job. >> i do make it harder i agree with that. i think that's true. he is a very straight shooter. >> reporter: but on stone he insists so far no decision. >> i haven't given it any thought. but i think he has been treated very unfairly >> reporter: the message from the president today is clear, his allies tell me regardless the sentence, president trump can do whatever he likes, whenever h likes to erase anyone's criminal record

. >> former san francisco 49ers owner eddie debartolo jr. was among those who received a full pardon for his conviction in a gambling fraud scandal. president trump tweeted his congratulations in a collage of photos showing debartolo at the white house with his family and several nfl greats, including jerry rice and jim brown. >>> breaking overnight, sources say attorney general barr is considering resigning over president trump's tweets. just last week barr told abc news the president trump's tweets about ongoing cases make it impossible to do his job. the president continued to weigh in about the case against his long-time friend roger stone. more than 2,000 former justice department officials have called for barr to step down. the justice department insists the a.g. has no plan to resign. >>> hundreds of passengers who were stuck on a cruise ship docked near tokyo because of coronavirus fears are now free to go. their two-week quarantine aboard "the diamond princess" ended this morning. as they begin their journey home, many travellers he

>>to eddie debartolo junior, the former san francisco 49 ers owner convicted in a gambling fraud scandal. the bar w junior who built the san francisco forty-niners 1980's and 90's 5 time super bowl-winning dynasty was involved in one of the biggest istory. in 1990 80 pled guilty to failing to report a felony wh he paid $400,000. the former losiana governor edwin wards. in exchange for riverboatgambling license. executive order this morning at the wte house aer meeting th several former nfl players, including jerry rice and ronnie lott about the party and the president signed of clemency today. tive grant >>as well granting full pardons to finaner michael milken entrepreneur aerial free ller and david sarah fan seraphin rather 3 wom tie, nice haul crystal munoz and judith new grown were also granted clemency. the pardons also includes some controversial choices, commissioner bernard kerik was found guilty of tax fraud and rob below voinovich he's the forr illinois governor who was sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruptn charges reted to bribes in an attempt to sell barack obama's pen

. >> high-profile pardons went to michael milken, former san francisco 49ers owner eddie debartolo who was convicted in a gambling scandal and forme new york police commissioner bernie kerik who served three years for tax fraud. the family of another party has donated $200,000 to trump's campaign. >>> a developing story from south florida where a car has plunged off a ferry. the car went under between fisher island and miami. after locating the vehicle authorities confirmed two women were inside and were unrespon unresponsive. efforts to recover the victims continued overnight. crews says it appears to have been an accident. >>> we turn now to the high-stakes debate on the las vegas strip tonight. >> yeah, michael bloomberg will face his democratic rivals for the first time. it comes as questions are raised about whether one candidate is overstating the number of minorities supporting his campaign. this morning, michael bloomberg is hours away from his first debate as a presidential candidate. and his rivals are taking aim at the billionaire businessman. >> the working people of this c

and it was because of eddie debartolo. he has done so much in the community and so much for nfl football and today is a great day for him. >> eddie d debart to low is a great man. i'm here to support him. i'm behind the humanity and he has done a great, great fredged of mine. ainsley: i think that's really sweet. you serve your time. you ask for forgiveness. and now you have a second chance at life. pete: apparently been involved with charter school and anti-gang violence initiatives done good after getting caught up in that. steve: meanwhile, once again, tonight's big debate out in las vegas. and you got to figure that because michael bloomberg so far has spent $350 million, he has -- he has hired 1700 people who work in offices in 43 states. this is not for bloomberg the news agency. this is for bloomberg for president. tonight he is going to step outside his very expensive comfort zone and try to be a charismatic politician while at the same time his opponents and the moderators are going to ask him about embarrassing t

four years in prison for tax fraud and making false statements former san francisco 49ers owner eddie debartolo jr. also received a pardon for his role in a casino bribery scheme nbc's dan scheneman has more >> you guys from chicago >> we are. >> congratulations on getting out. >> reporter: former illinois governor rod blagojevich awarded his freedom after president trump commuted his sentence. >> president trump is the one who did this, and i'm -- like i said, profoundly grateful. my gratitude is forever. >> reporter: the former governor was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was convicted of trying to sell the senate seat of then president-elect barack obama. >> i've got this thing, and it's [ bleep ] golden and i'm just not giving it up for [ bleep ] nothing. >> reporter: president trump -- >> rod, you're fired >> reporter: -- who once fired the former governor on the reality show "the apprentice." blagojevich's wife >> that was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence in my opinion very far from his children they're growing older. they're going to high school now. and they rarely

legends celebrated edward debartolo for making the list, a former owner of the san francisco 49ers. >> i take my hat off to donald trump for what he did. >> reporter: not on the pardon list today, roger stone, who will be sentenced thursday, and former national security adviser mike flynn, who has asked to withdraw his guilty plea. >> i think roger stone has been treated unfairly. i think general flynn has been treated very unfairly. >> reporter: mr. trump continued to tweet about the stone case today against the wishes of his attorney general bill barr. >> o'donnell: and weijia joins us now from the white house. so weijia, does what happened today foreshadow the possibility of pardons for stone, flynn, or former campaign manager paul manafort? >> reporter: well, president trump said today that he had not given any thought to pardoning those friends-turned felons, but clearly stone's case is on his mind given he tweeted that the judge should grant stone a new iaial. we also know the president is feeling emboldened post- impeachment, and he often rewards those who have been loyal to hi

. >> debartolo's supporters say the pardon could open the door to his return to sports management. >>> a brazen robbery in oakland. one suspect who attacked and robbed a man in his driveway is in custody. he's the guy with the long hair and red pants on. he's also the suspect in a robbery in richmond. investigators say he was in a car involved in a police chase on i-5. oakland police say the man cut his hair, he was planning to leave the state. the other robbery suspect is still out there. >>> february is black history month. abc7 news is celebrating by featuring people who make news in the bay area. we're sitting down with the first african-american woman appointed to the california court of appeals. it's been a long journey for justice terry jackson. she said she and her sister were the first to integrate their schools and neighborhood. as of january justice jackson assumed her new role in the 1st district court of appeal. >> this is what i'm doing because i love it so much but i cannot dismiss or minimize that it is history. the first means responsibility. it means fear. it means s

governor rod blagojevich as well as disgraced police chief bernard keric and michael milken and eddie debartolo. this is after the former governor was caught on tape. >> i have this thing. >> reporter: and there was even some say that he was having the sway over the blagojevich character. but it is not true, because he was not the attorney general at that time. >> he is a nice person, and he has served eight years in jail, and it is a prosecution by the same people, comey, fitzpatrick and the same group. >> reporter: as for pardons of flynn and stone, the president said he is nowhere near a decision. >> it is a process that people are going through, and these are unrelated situations where the people have done a great job with very, very strong recommendations, but we have not thought about that yet. >> reporter: while he is looking for leniency for his friends, the president is ready to punish more of his enemies like the writer of a scathing op-ed known as anonymous. >> well, it is, and not so much. i know who it is. >> who is it? >> i can't tell you that. >> why not? why not? >> i know who i

charged in 2010 for failure to pay taxes, financier and one-time junk bond king milliken and owner eddie debartolo jr. failing to report an alleged extortion attempt. president trump pardoned former arizona chief joe arpaio. in 2018, pardoned a sailor who pled guilty of keeping classified material. former aide libby for lying to authorities and conservative dinesh d souza. peter alexander joins me now. peter, what -- there are people out there thinking that donald trump softens everybody up for the pardons that everybody is really wondering about, paul manafort, roger stone and michael flynn. >> yeah. no. i think that's right and skepticism. of course this comes just a day before roger stone is expected to be sentenced. you have seen the president's frustration about the sentencing recommendation. rr backing off that. then barr telling the president to butt out of this. the bottom line is the president after criticism that he should not be interfering in criminal cases that the justice department is overseeing making it very clear that he does have the presidential power to pardon or commute any s

. >> reporter: he did not stop there, and he pardoned the owner of the san francisco 49ers eddie debartolo, and michael millken who is also known as the junk bonds king who is said to wipe clean his securities fraud scheme. >> he has paid a price, but he has done an incredible job. >> reporter: and the president would not say if he is considering leniency for his long time friend roger stone who is to be sentenced in two days. >> i have not given it any thought. >> reporter: and sources say that is not true and he has thought of pardonning him in recent weeks as others have lobbied him to do so. >> i am actually, the chief law enforcement officer of the country. >> reporter: and now, in total, jake, the president issued seven pardons and four commutations and he only mentioned the most prominent of the white collar offenders there, and only one had to do with drug offenses and one had to do with a stolen car ring. >> and now the discuss this is david cicilline who is serving on the house judiciary committee, and thank you for joining us. is the president's commutation and the pardonning of

trump also pardoned bernard carri carrick, michael millkin, and eddie debartolo jr. joining me now, rick pearson who has covered illinois and national politics for more than 30 years, and certainly knows the rod blagojevich story backward and forward. what's your reaction? >> i'm surprised. we've seen in the past that trump has used and dangled that prospect that i would release rod blagojevich. it was kind in a way, look at the bright shiny object over here, when it was at times where he wanted to move national attention away from back in august it was a mass shooting incident. when he last dangled this out. i'm note sure a lot of people expected he would ever really release blagojevich. but it's very surprising and one more question about how he views the justice department. >> there's that and a second part of it, i'm curious as to what you think about it. two states that president trump won in 2016, is there any world in which commuting rod blagojevich's sentence helps him political politically? >> not in illinois. there are some democrats that had supported a re

police commissioner bernie kerik, financeer michael milken, former san francisco 49ers owner edward debartolo, jr., and commute the sentencing for former illinois governor rod blagojevich. blagojevich was still serving his 14-year sentence in federal prison for attempting to essentially sell barack obama's senatorial vacant seat when he was president-elect. that was happening there. milken charged with insider trading. pleaded guilty in 1990 to securities tax and other violations and to the headlines this, look at this, more than 2,000 former doj officials are calling for attorney general william barr to step down after the attorney general recommended a three to four year sentence for roger stone, not the initial seven to nine years. so sentencing is still scheduled for thursday. let's bring in kt mcfarland, former deputy national security advisor. kt has a new book, revolution, trump, washington and we the people. there is a big controversy. your reaction, kt? >> look, somebody in washington is getting very, very nervous about what the durham report, john durham, the attorney in connecticut

>> geraldo: michael milk in the junk bond guy, one of the great philanthropists, eddie debartolo, jr., five super bowls -- they committed their crimes but the two that really affected me the most, pardoned by the president, bernard kerrick and the police commissioner of new york city. during 9/11, a hero to his core, a wonderful person, a guy who has been a pillar of strength. he went to jail for four years forgiving and underpriced home renovation, it was awful and the other one that i really supported was blagojevich, rod blagojevich the former governor of illinois. i ambushed him but i later became friends with him and he had nice things to say. >> how do you think someone who's given back to freedom that was stolen from your? he didn't have to do this. i was a democratic governor, doing this did nothing to help him. >> jesse: you're not the first or last person to get big footed by geraldo. >> emily: we are so glad that ryan newman is out of the hospital, continue for him and his recovery. >> jesse: special report is up next. >> bret: welcome to washington, we are covering two maj

most high profile white collar criminals chief among them are former san francisco 49 er owner eddie debartolo along with a former financier, the former n y p d police commissioner and former illinois governor rod blagojevich who don't forget was convicted of trying to sell barack obama's senate seat after he was elected president the president's decision has got a lot of push back especially in but boy gets his home state of illinois. >>more lawmakers on both sides the aisle they say that history will not judge him well mark maxwell has more. >>all 5 illinois republicans in congress issued a joint statement saying that history will not judge former governor rod blagojevich well they hope voters don't judge them and the republican party too harshly after president trump's decision. democrats to disagreed saying the governor belated should have full a served his full 14 years behind bars but in the end. president trump saw an opportunity to prove a point. >>it was a prosecution by. the same people call me fitzpatrick the same group i saw that and i did commute this set. >>former governor rod bl