Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he was helping a friend when he commuted the sentence of the son of a political ally.
Schwarzenegger reduced Esteban Nunez's sentence from 16 years to seven years on the day before he left office in January. Nunez, who is the son of former state Assembly speaker Fabian Nunez, had pleaded guilty in the 2008 stabbing death of a San Diego college student, 22-year-old Luis Santos.
The decision was criticized by prosecutors, fellow Republicans and Santos' family, and is now the subject of a lawsuit.
Schwarzenegger said in a Newsweek interview published this week that he understands the parents' anger and critics' condemnation.
The slain man's father, Frederico Santos Jr., said Schwarzenegger's comments confirm that his decision was political.
"This is proof that the commutation has nothing to do with legal reasons but is simply a favor to a political friend," Santos told The Associated Press. "I'm not surprised because that's what we said all along, that the actions were strictly for a political favor and nothing more, no matter what he was trying to claim as his justification."
The family's lawyer said the comments will have little effect on their lawsuit against the governor for failing to notify them.
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