Get you up to speed: John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty’s prison sentence commuted by President Trump, lawyer says
Former Philadelphia labor leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty was granted an early release from prison following a commutation signed by President Trump, confirmed by his attorney George Bochetto. Dougherty was sentenced to six years for bribery and embezzlement and is expected to be released from a federal penitentiary in Lewisburg.
John Dougherty’s legal team expects him to be released from a federal penitentiary in Lewisburg on Friday morning. Records from the Office of the Pardon Attorney still do not show an official approval for the commutation despite the confirmation from his attorney.
John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty’s early release from prison was confirmed by his attorney, George Bochetto, who stated that President Trump signed a commutation due to Dougherty’s need to care for his ailing wife. Dougherty’s release is slated for Friday morning, despite opposition from prosecutors who argued he had not served enough of his sentence.
What remains unclear — Records from the Office of the Pardon Attorney do not yet confirm the approval of Dougherty’s commutation despite his attorney’s statement.
President Trump commutes prison sentence of John Dougherty, lawyer confirms
Former Philadelphia labor leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty was granted an early release from prison after President Trump agreed to sign a commutation to end his six-year sentence early, his attorney George Bochetto confirmed to WTX US News Philadelphia Thursday.
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 was sentenced to six years in prison in July 2024 and has four years left in his sentence.
As of Thursday night, records on the Office of the Pardon Attorney website do not yet show a commutation approval. The agency’s website shows Mr. Trump denied a commutation of sentence for Dougherty in July.
“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.”
Bochetto said they hope Dougherty will be released from a federal penitentiary in Lewisburg Friday morning.
“We’re going to have a crew there to receive John and bring him to his wife,” Bochetto said.
Bochetto added he received a phone call Thursday afternoon from the White House informing him of the commutation.
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.
WTX US News Philadelphia reached out to the White House for confirmation and is waiting to hear back.