Trump grants full pardon to former media baron Conrad Black

U.S. President Donald Trumphas signed a full pardon for former media mogul Conrad Black, who was convicted in 2007of fraud and obstruction of justice.

Black, 74, spent almost 3 years in a Floridaprison before being released and deported back to Canada. He had originallybeen sentenced to 78 months in jail, but his sentence was reduced after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down several of his initial convictions.

A statement from the White House on Wednesday saidBlack has made "tremendous contributions to business, as well as to political and historical thought."

It also cites several prominent individuals who"have vigorously vouched for [Black's]exceptional character." They includeformer secretary of state HenryKissinger, Elton John, Rush Limbaughand the late William F. Buckley Jr.

In a statement late Wednesday, Blackcalledhis legal ordeal "nonsense," adding"there was never a word of truth to any of it. And now it is over, after 16 years, including three years and two weeks in U.S.federal prisons."

Black,a Canadian-born British citizen, once ran an international newspaper empire that included National Post, the Chicago Sun-Times, Britain's Daily Telegraph and the Jerusalem Post.

He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1990. He renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2001 so he could become a British Lord.

In 2011, RideauHall began a review of his position in the Order of Canadadue to his criminal convictions. Despite Black's many attemptsto fight being kicked out,including in Federal Court,Governor General David Johnston removed Blackfrom the orderin January 2014.

He remainsLord of Crossharbour, though he has been on a leave of absence from the British House of Lords since June 2012.

Thought White House callwas a prank

Black was found guilty in the United States in 2007 of scheming to siphon off millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger Inc., where he was chief executive and chairman.

Two of his three fraud convictions were later voided, and his sentence was shortened.

Black has remainedsteadfast in declaring his innocence on all of the U.S. charges and in his belief that he was subjected to unfair prosecution in the United States.

In 2018 Blackpublished Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other.

In his longstatement, which recounts in detail the events of the past decade or so, Blacksays he has notspoken to Trump since he took office. Blacksaid he thought thecall he got Wednesday from the White House might have been a prank, but that he recognized Trump's voice.

"He could not have been more gracious and quickly got to his point, that he was granting me a full pardon."

Black has been living in Toronto since 2012.