WASHINGTON — Eric Weaver received a Christmas miracle on Friday.
After being turned away from the White House on Monday, he was given a second chance and was invited back.
Earlier this week, Weaver was decked out and ready to see the decked halls inside of the White House with his 10-year-old granddaughter, but was turned away upon his arrival.
Three weeks ago, Weaver received an email inviting him to the White House Holiday Open House because of the work he has done with the National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens. When he arrived he was denied entrance because of his record.
Weaver founded the organization in 2016 after spending 22 years in prison for first degree murder when he was 17.
Since then, he's earned his GED, two college degrees and has been out of prison for 14 years and says he's done everything right and more. So when he was turned away at the White House on Monday night, he said he was mortified.
"When they initially had to walk us away from a crowd, after telling everybody else you good, you good, you good, it was embarrassing to get walked and escorted out," he told WUSA9.
Two days after airing Weaver’s story, he received another email inviting him and his family back to the White House. President Biden also issued a statement on Friday announcing that he would be “commuting the sentences of 11 people who are serving disproportionately long sentences for non-violent drug offenses.”
Tony Lewis Jr., a friend of Weaver and a witness to Monday’s incident, took to Twitter to praise President Biden for the pardons.
Lewis Jr. posted pictures with Weaver and their family inside of the White House. Everyone was beaming with smiles while lounging in the red velvet recliner chairs inside of the White House movie theater.
