John Dougherty released from prison after Trump commutes sentence to care for sick wife, lawyer says

John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, the former Philadelphia union leader sent to federal prison on bribery and embezzlement charges, is a free man. Dougherty served just two years of his six-year sentence. 

According to his attorney, President Trump signed a commutation Thursday, clearing the way for Dougherty's early release.

Dougherty was released Friday afternoon, his lawyer said.

Dougherty had been petitioning to be released from a federal penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, to care for his sick wife.

"President Trump has signed a commutation so that Johnny Doc can be released from prison to take care of his gravely ill wife, Cecilia Dougherty," Bochetto said. "Cecilia Dougherty is in desperate need of care. Her money has run out for private nursing, and she desperately needs John by her side. And that's why now."

Federal prosecutors declined to comment on the commutation.

Dougherty was convicted in 2023 of bribing a city councilmember and embezzling about $600,000 from Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He was also found guilty in November 2021 in his first trial on counts of bribery and fraud in connection with using former Councilmember Bobby Henon to advance work and projects for IBEW Local 98.

Dougherty served as the head of IBEW Local 98 for nearly 30 years and was a longtime Democratic power broker in Pennsylvania politics.

"We are all just so grateful to President Trump, who really has risen above politics. John Dougherty is an icon of Democratic politics in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Donald Trump is a Republican," Bochetto said. "The president has risen above partisan politics and recognized the need and the compassion that this case presented and commuted John's sentence so he can return home and take care of his wife."

Prosecutors had opposed Dougherty's request, saying they did not believe he had served enough of his sentence to merit release. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.