Trump pardons Harshbarger's husband

The husband of U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger has been issued a federal pardon, according to federal documents. President Donald Trump issued a full and unconditional pardon to Robert Harshbarger Jr. Monday, which was posted on the U.S. Department of Justice's website. "My husband has paid his debt both personally and financially to society," U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger said in a statement. "We are thrilled and grateful that President looked kindly upon Bob's application." The pardon comes from a 2013 conviction when Robert Harshbarger pleaded guilty to health care fraud and distributing a misbranded drug. "President Trump pardoned Mr. Harshbarger, a Tennessee pharmacist who engaged in a common pharmacist practice known as 'compounding,' in which non-FDA drugs are provided to patients to suit their condition or other reasons. Due to a backlog of an iron sucrose drug, he provided a similar version of the drug that was not FDA-approved. No patients were alleged to have been harmed by the drug, and doctors seemingly preferred the drug they received from Mr. Harshbarger because it was easier to administer. Mr. Harshbarger faced excessive prosecution for his actions and has already finished his sentence – this was a ridiculous sentence for a pharmacist trying to help people," according to a White House official not authorized to publicly comment. The announcement of the pardon comes just a week after Trump also pardoned former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada and his chief of staff Cade Cothen were pardoned after they were found guilty of wire fraud, conspiracy, bribery, theft and money laundering.