Eddie DeBartolo Jr., the Hall of Fame former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, has been granted clemency for his 1998 felony conviction.
The White House informed reporters today that President Trump has signed an executive order granting clemency for DeBartolo.
In 1998 DeBartolo pleaded guilty to failing to report a felony for his role in the corruption case that sent former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards to prison for eight years. DeBartolo did not get any jail time, but the NFL forced him to cede control of the 49ers to his sister, Denise DeBartolo York, whose family still runs the team.
Despite the ugly ending to his tenure with the 49ers, DeBartolo was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 and has been revered for his role in building the great 49ers dynasty of the 1980s and 1990s. He has long sought to rehabilitate his image, and today’s action by the White House is another step in that effort.
