He went from leading a labor union for decades, to going to prison for stealing from it.
But then, on Thursday, Dougherty's attorney said President Trump signed a full commutation on Thursday, allowing him to be released from prison immediately.
Action News spoke to Dougherty's attorney, George Bochetto, about what might have led to the President's decision.
"He's a free man right now. He can go home and take care of his wife," Bochetto said.
Bochetto said the primary reason Trump is allowing Dougherty out of prison roughly four years early is to help care for his sick wife.
"She needs around-the-clock nursing care and it's very, very expensive and frankly they're out of money," Bochetto said. "She had metastatic brain damage and is essentially paralyzed from the neck down."
Bochetto said the year and half effort to get him out early involved a series of interviews, submitting documents to the department of justice, and proving to the White House why he needed to go home.
"Believe me when I tell you, the Trump administration was very demanding in terms of details information and facts that they wanted," Bochetto explained.
"I think he would say it is a magnificent gesture of compassion and the president has really proven that he rises above politics and does the right thing," Bochetto added.
Dougherty was sentenced in 2024 to six years in federal prison after being convicted of bribing a Philadelphia City Council member and stealing nearly $600,000 from the labor union he led for nearly three decades.
RELATED | Fmr. Philadelphia labor leader John Dougherty convicted of embezzling $650,000 from union
Dougherty was an influential figure within the Democratic Party and led Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for nearly three decades before his conviction.
He was ordered to serve 6 years in prison plus 3 years of supervised release.
In 2021, Dougherty was convicted on bribery charges in a separate trial, along with former city councilmember Bobby Henon.
Dougherty is in prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, about an hour and a half north of Harrisburg. His attorney says he'll likely be home by Friday afternoon.
Stay with Action News as we continue to follow this developing story.