Steve Womack

President Donald Trump has granted clemency to a Republican congressman's son who was in prison for distributing methamphetamine.

Trump commuted the federal sentence of James Phillip Womack, the son of Arkansas Rep. Steve Womack, on Thursday, Jan. 15, according to the official Executive Grant of Clemency signed by Trump and issued by the U.S. Department of Justice.

A White House official told USA TODAY that coupled with James Womack's record of good behavior in prison, the family has had several recent health issues, including his mother being diagnosed with abdominal cancer and his brother suffering from a seizure disorder and having difficulty living by himself.

The congressman’s son was sentenced in federal court in May 2024 to a $1,900 fine and eight years in prison for distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine, according to court records. He had been arrested multiple times on drug charges before.

The commutation still requires Womack to serve five years of supervised release.

The congressman didn't immediately respond to a USA TODAY request for comment. He expressed gratitude to Trump in statements to Arkansas television stations KTHV and KNWA.

“I am grateful to President Trump for this gracious and thoughtful action. The commutation has allowed my son to be with his family during a profoundly difficult time, and the President’s phone conversation with my wife and her care team made an impression that I’ll cherish forever,” the congressman said in the statement.

Womack is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and is the former chairman of the House Budget Committee.