Nicki Minaj asked President Obama to issue a presidential pardon for her brother, imprisoned for raping a 12-year-old girl
An unverified claim that the rapper asked President Obama to intervene in Jelani Maraj’s child rape case has spread online
A report came today that Nicki Minaj used her April 15 visit to the White House to ask President Barack Obama for a presidential pardon on behalf of her brother, Jelani Maraj. Maraj, 37, was arrested in December 2015 and indicted this week on charges of raping a 12-year-old girl. The report, published by MediaTakeOut, cites an anonymous “family insider” who claims Minaj approached the president about the matter. No mainstream news organization has verified the report.
The White House meeting was part of the administration’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative, which addresses opportunity gaps for young men and boys of color. Attendees included Alicia Keys, Chance the Rapper, J. Cole, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Pusha T, Common, Janelle Monáe, Ludacris, Wale, and DJ Khaled. The gathering was not open to the press. No official transcript or participant quotes were released. Minaj posted on Twitter after the meeting: “Met with President Obama today to discuss a few things that happen to be very dear to my heart. I am #MyBrothersKeeper.”
Allegation From MediaTakeOut
The MediaTakeOut article published today claims that Nicki used the White House meeting to ask President Obama for a presidential pardon for her brother. The site cites an anonymous source described as “close to the family.” This source claims Minaj approached the president about the matter and that further discussions were planned. The report frames the request as a “huge favor” and suggests Minaj hinted at it through her Instagram activity following the meeting.
No evidence supports the claim. Also, Nicki has not confirmed the report. The White House has not commented. No mainstream news organization has independently verified the story. The report contains factual inaccuracies about Maraj’s custodial status, claiming he is “imprisoned.” As of press time, Maraj is free on $100,000 bond following his December 2015 arrest. He appeared in Nassau County Court yesterday (April 19), entered a plea of not guilty, and remains out of custody pending trial.
The MediaTakeOut report is the sole source of the pardon request allegation. It has been amplified by entertainment and hip-hop blogs throughout the day. However, no additional reporting has emerged to support or refute the claim. Additionally, Nicki has not issued a statement addressing the report directly.
The Criminal Case Against Jelani Maraj
Jelani Maraj, the older brother of Nicki Minaj (born Onika Tanya Maraj), was arrested on December 2, 2015, in Baldwin, Long Island, New York. Nassau County police charged him following allegations from an 11-year-old girl identified in court documents as his stepdaughter. The child reported that Maraj had subjected her to repeated sexual assaults over several months in 2015, including incidents that occurred while the child’s mother was at work.
On April 19, 2016, a Nassau County grand jury returned a multi-count indictment against Maraj. The charges include predatory sexual assault against a child, a class A-I felony carrying a possible sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment upon conviction. Additional charges include sexual conduct against a child under age 13 and endangering the welfare of a child.
Maraj appeared in Nassau County Court on April 19 and entered a plea of not guilty to all counts. He remains free on the existing $100,000 bond. Defense attorneys Benjamin Brafman and Andrea Zellan represent him. They declined comment on the substance of the case. No trial date has been set as of today.
The Limits of Presidential Pardon Power
Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the president’s pardon power extends exclusively to federal offenses. A presidential pardon cannot nullify or preempt state criminal charges or convictions. Jelani Maraj’s case is prosecuted by Nassau County, New York, under New York State Penal Law. Even if a conviction were to occur and even if President Obama were inclined to act, a federal pardon would have no legal effect on a state-level sentence.
This distinction is a matter of established constitutional law. The Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney handles federal clemency requests through a structured process. That process does not apply to state cases. The MediaTakeOut report does not address this constitutional limitation. The anonymous source cited in the article does not acknowledge that a presidential pardon would not cover Maraj’s charges.
The “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative was the stated purpose of the White House meeting. It addresses systemic issues in criminal justice. However, it does not involve individual clemency decisions. Those decisions are handled through separate White House processes that require formal applications and review.
Minaj’s Public Support for Her Brother
Nicki Minaj has publicly expressed support for her brother since his December 2015 arrest. Reports indicate she helped facilitate his $100,000 bail financially. She has not issued any statement distancing herself from him or commenting on the specific allegations against him. Her Twitter and Instagram accounts have featured family-related content throughout the past four months.
After last week’s White House meeting, Minaj enthusiastically posted about her meeting with President Obama. Her mentions of discussing things “dear to her heart” and the #MyBrothersKeeper hashtag raised eyebrows. The phrasing was interpreted by some observers as a reference to family matters or criminal-justice issues given the meeting’s focus. However, Minaj offered no elaboration. Furthermore, there were no public statements from her on the meeting or any pardon-related topic appeared between April 15 and now.
Minaj is currently promoting the film Barbershop: The Next Cut, in which she appears alongside Ice Cube, Common, and Eve. Her publicist has not responded to requests for comment on the allegation.
The “My Brothers’ Keeper” Meeting and Its Purpose
The White House meeting was private and unannounced prior to its occurrence. President Obama hosted a group of musicians and entertainers to discuss continuation of the “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The program, launched by Obama in 2014, seeks to address opportunity gaps affecting young men and boys of color through mentorship, education, employment support, and criminal-justice reform efforts.
The meeting focused on strategies to sustain the initiative beyond the current administration and to advance broader criminal-justice reform discussions. Attendees included Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Chance the Rapper, Rick Ross, Common, Ludacris, Wale, DJ Khaled, Alicia Keys, Busta Rhymes, Pusha T, and Janelle Monáe. The White House issued no detailed transcript or participant quotes beyond confirming the meeting occurred through the Associated Press.
J. Cole’s attire became a subject of online discussion following the meeting. He wore a hoodie and backward baseball cap, which some commentators deemed inappropriate for a White House visit. That discussion overshadowed other aspects of the meeting in some media coverage. The pardon request allegation emerged five days later, today, shifting attention again.
What Remains Unconfirmed
The MediaTakeOut report has not been verified. No mainstream news organization has confirmed that Nicki Minaj asked President Obama for a pardon for her brother. No White House official has commented on the claim. Minaj has not addressed it directly. The anonymous source cited by MediaTakeOut has not been identified.
Jelani Maraj is not incarcerated. He is awaiting trial on $100,000 bond. The claim that Minaj sought a pardon for an “imprisoned” brother is factually inaccurate. The constitutional bar on presidential pardons for state crimes remains unchanged. Even if the request were made, the president lacks authority to act on it.
As of press time today, the available public record consists of: a documented state criminal case against Jelani Maraj in the pretrial phase; a confirmed White House policy meeting attended by Nicki Minaj; her own positive but nonspecific public comments about the encounter; and a single-day gossip report alleging a pardon request, supported only by an unnamed source.