Someone has said “thanks Obama,” without sarcasm. For a change.
Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas, during the team’s White House visit to commemorate its Super Bowl championship, had a chance to personally express gratitude to the Commander-in-Chief for his decision to grant clemency to Thomas’s mother in 2015.
“We talked for a quick second. I told him, ‘I thank you for what you’ve done for my family [by] giving my mother clemency,” Thomas told reporters, via comments distributed by the team.
Thomas said the President remembered that he had given Thomas’s mother clemency.
“Yeah, he knew,” Thomas explained. “He held me back for a little second. Everybody was going by shaking his hand, and we had like a 45-second conversation. So it was cool.”
Katina Smith had been sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2000 for cocaine distribution. She was one of 46 nonviolent drug offenders to receive clemency last July.
There’s another member of the family whom Thomas hopes the President will set free.
“Also, we talked about my grandmother,” Thomas said. “Had the application to get everything done, and he’s looking into that, as well.”
Minnie Thomas, 59, also was sent to prison for drug trafficking in 2000. Thomas has officially requested clemency for her as well.
“I did,” Thomas said. “I had [Vice President of Public Relations] Patrick [Smyth] give it to him, and I wrote something thanking him, as well. A little couple points that my mom wanted me to say to him and a couple other things.”
Katina Smith was due to be released in 2017. Minnie Thomas is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.