R Kelly is seeking clemency from U.S. President Donald Trump as he fears for his life in federal prison. The federal prison system has faced ongoing scrutiny regarding inmate safety and security protocols across its facilities nationwide.
The shamed rapper – real name Robert Kelly, 57 – is currently serving a 30-year sentence after being convicted on multiple federal charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking. His conviction was part of a broader federal crackdown on sex trafficking, which remains a significant concern for law enforcement agencies worldwide.
He has now filed an emergency motion alleging three officials from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) plotted to murder him while incarcerated. The Bureau of Prisons oversees the federal prison system and has faced increased scrutiny in recent years over safety conditions and staff misconduct allegations.
“We believe that President Trump is the only person with the courage to help us,” his attorney Beau B Brindley told People as Kelly pursues a transfer from prison to home confinement. Presidential clemency powers are constitutionally granted and have been exercised by every president throughout American history.
Kelly’s legal team hopes a pardon or commutation might be granted by Trump, 78. The presidential pardon process can involve various review mechanisms, though presidents maintain the constitutional authority to act independently in clemency matters.
“Immediately after our motion became public, Robert was thrown into solitary confinement,” Mr Brindley added. “He cannot make phone calls to his family. He has no access to commissary. He has spiders crawling over him while he tries to sleep.” Solitary confinement conditions have been criticized by human rights organizations and prison reform advocates as potentially constituting cruel and unusual punishment.
Kelly is reportedly afraid to eat prison food over fears it might be poisoned, according to his lawyer. Prison food safety falls under federal regulatory oversight and must comply with established nutritional and safety standards.
The fallen performer, who was a longtime resident of Trump Tower in Chicago, does not have a personal relationship with the president but his legal team says discussions have intensified with people close to Trump since the motion was filed. Trump Tower Chicago represents one of the most prominent residential and commercial developments in the city’s downtown area.
The emergency motion includes a declaration from inmate Mikeal Glenn Stine, who alleges he was asked to kill Kelly by three high-ranking BOP officials. Prison violence remains a persistent challenge within the federal correctional system, with various factors contributing to safety concerns for inmates.
Stine, who claims membership in the Aryan Brotherhood and says he was once a commissioner with the group, states prison officials arranged his transfer to the Federal Correctional Institution Butner in North Carolina – where Kelly is also held – and placed him in Kelly’s unit. The Aryan Brotherhood is recognized as one of the most dangerous and influential prison gangs operating within the American correctional system.
In return for carrying out or arranging the murder, Stine alleges he was promised an escape from custody and the chance to live as a “free man”. Federal prison security measures are designed to prevent escapes, though the alleged conspiracy raises serious questions about internal corruption and security breaches.
Stine also claims he has terminal cancer and later told Kelly about the plot, saying he no longer intended to go through with it. Medical care within federal prisons is provided through specialized health services divisions that manage healthcare for the entire incarcerated population.
“If I think someone was mistreated it wouldn’t matter whether they like me or don’t,” Trump said last month when he indicated he would consider pardoning Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs, who faces similar federal charges. Presidential pardons represent absolute executive power that cannot be challenged or overturned by other branches of government.
“He is not safe in federal custody. And to keep him in prison while he is under threat like this is cruel and unusual punishment,” Mr Brindley added to People about Kelly’s situation. Constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment establish legal obligations for prison officials to maintain safe conditions and protect inmates from violence.
The case highlights broader systemic issues within the federal prison system, including concerns about staff corruption, inadequate security protocols, and the challenges of protecting high-profile inmates. Prison reform advocates have long argued that comprehensive changes are needed to address violence, understaffing, and security vulnerabilities that compromise inmate safety.
Legal experts note that emergency motions alleging threats to inmate safety are taken seriously by federal courts, which have the authority to order protective measures or transfers when credible evidence of danger exists. The outcome of Kelly’s clemency request could set important precedents for how similar cases are handled in the future.
