Trump First-Term Pardons: Every Grant, 2017 to 2021

Albert J. Pirro, Jr.

Former New York Republican power broker and ex-husband of Jeanine Pirro, convicted of tax fraud in 2000

Albert J. Pirro Jr. is the ex-husband of Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host and Trump ally. The Justice Department’s clemency record shows a 2000 conviction in Manhattan federal court for conspiracy to defraud the United States, four counts of tax evasion and 29 fraud counts. He was sentenced to 29 months in prison and $62,446 in restitution.

His was the last clemency grant of Trump’s first term. NBC News reported that the pardon came with less than an hour to go before Joe Biden was sworn in, on January 20, 2021, after the main list had been released. In 2026 NBC News noted that Jeanine Pirro went on to become the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., in Trump’s second administration. No White House explanation for this pardon was found.

Offense of record

Conspiracy to defraud the government and tax evasion

Ties to Trump

Pirro is the ex-husband of Jeanine Pirro, a longtime Trump ally who later became U.S. Attorney for D.C. (NBC News). No direct personal tie between Albert Pirro and Trump was established in the sources reviewed.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $62,446. Restitution per the DOJ record.

Response

No public statement from Pirro or a White House explanation for the pardon was found in the sources reviewed. NBC News singled it out as Trump's last-minute final pardon.

Abel Holtz

Founder of Miami's Capital Bank and South Florida philanthropist

Abel Holtz, the founder of Miami’s Capital Bank, pleaded guilty in 1994 to lying to a federal grand jury about secret payments to then-Miami Beach Mayor Alex Daoud, the Miami Herald reported. The Justice Department’s list records a 1995 obstruction sentence of 45 days in prison. The Herald reported that a 2006 pardon petition to President George W. Bush was denied.

The White House said the pardon was supported by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart and community and business colleagues, noted that Holtz was 86 and cited his charitable giving, including to the City of Miami Beach. Daoud, who testified that he took payments from Holtz, called the pardon “disgusting,” and former prosecutor Bruce Udolf said Trump’s pardons favored the “moneyed and privileged,” the Herald reported.

Offense of record

Lied to a grand jury about payments to a Miami Beach mayor

Money

DOJ records a $20,000 fine (as amended).

Who pushed for it

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart and friends and business colleagues, per the White House.

Response

Former Miami Beach Mayor Alex Daoud called the pardon "disgusting" and "despicable"; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Udolf said "The people [Trump] deems worthy of a pardon are moneyed and privileged" (Miami Herald). Holtz could not be reached for comment, the Herald reported.

Alex Adjmi

Businessman convicted in the 1990s of money laundering and insurance-fraud conspiracy

Alex Adjmi was convicted in the 1990s of money laundering in Connecticut and of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud in New York, according to the Justice Department’s clemency list, which records a 48-month prison term. NBC News, citing the White House, reported that he was convicted of a financial crime in 1996 and served five years in prison.

The White House said the pardon was supported by Haim Chera on behalf of his late father Stanley, Robert Cayre, the Sitt family and other community leaders, and that since his release Adjmi had supported charitable causes including help for children with special needs and substance-recovery centers. We found no further reporting on the case or on why the pardon was granted.

Offense of record

Money laundering and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud in the 1990s

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $4,500. DOJ records $125,000 and $15,000 fines and $4,500 restitution.

Who pushed for it

Haim Chera (on behalf of his late father Stanley Chera), Robert Cayre and the Sitt family, per the White House.

Response

The White House said that after his release he "dedicated himself to his community." No other public response was found.

Note: Little public coverage; profile rests mainly on the White House statement and the Justice Department list.

Amir B. Khan

Hawaii man who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and repaid the victim

Amir Khan pleaded guilty to 19 counts of wire fraud in federal court in Hawaii and was sentenced in 2019 to three years’ probation with home detention, community service and $6,500 in restitution, according to the Justice Department’s clemency list.

The White House said the pardon was supported by his adult children and members of the community, that he “immediately paid back the victim more than in full,” and that he had volunteered and donated to several charities. NBC News reproduced the White House’s description in its list of Trump’s final clemency grants. We found no independent news reporting on the case or on how the request reached the White House.

Offense of record

Wire fraud (19 counts)

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $6,500

Who pushed for it

His adult children and members of the community, per the White House.

Response

The White House said Khan "has demonstrated remorse for his conduct." No other public response was found.

Note: Little public coverage; profile rests on the White House statement and the Justice Department list.

Anthony Scott Levandowski

Former Google self-driving-car engineer who later led Uber's autonomous-truck unit

Anthony Levandowski, a founding member of Google’s self-driving car project, admitted under a plea deal to downloading thousands of project files before leaving to start Otto, which Uber bought, TechCrunch reported. He pleaded guilty to one count of trade-secret theft and was sentenced in August 2020 to 18 months in prison; the pardon meant he would not serve it.

The White House listed supporters including Peter Thiel, Palmer Luckey, Michael Ovitz and Blake Masters, and quoted his sentencing judge calling him a “brilliant, groundbreaking engineer.” Levandowski thanked “the President and others who supported and advocated on my behalf.” In 2022 he reached a settlement with Uber and Google over a $179 million arbitration award that had pushed him into bankruptcy, TechCrunch reported.

Offense of record

Took Google self-driving trade secrets before joining a rival

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $756,499. DOJ records a $95,000 fine and $756,499.22 restitution to Waymo. Separately, a $179 million civil arbitration award to Google led to his bankruptcy and a 2022 settlement (TechCrunch).

Who pushed for it

Peter Thiel, Palmer Luckey, Michael Ovitz, Trae Stephens, Blake Masters, trial lawyers Miles Ehrlich and Amy Craig and others, per the White House and TechCrunch.

Response

"My family and I are grateful for the opportunity to move forward, and thankful to the President and others who supported and advocated on my behalf," Levandowski told TechCrunch. The White House said he "has paid a significant price for his actions."

Since then

February 2022: settlement with Uber and Google resolving disputes tied to the $179 million arbitration award and his bankruptcy (TechCrunch).

Aviem Sella

Former Israeli air force officer accused of recruiting spy Jonathan Pollard

Aviem Sella, an Israeli citizen and former Israeli air force officer, was indicted in the 1980s on charges that he recruited American Jonathan Pollard to collect U.S. military secrets for Israel, NBC News reported. The Justice Department’s clemency list records espionage-related charges and no sentence; CNN described him as an officer the U.S. accused of being a spy.

The White House said the request was supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Miriam Adelson, and that Israel had issued “a full and unequivocal apology” and requested the pardon “to close this unfortunate chapter in U.S.-Israel relations.”

The case

Charged with espionage for recruiting a U.S. spy for Israel

Ties to Trump

Former Israeli air force officer (CNN); the pardon was requested by the State of Israel and backed by Netanyahu, per the White House.

Who pushed for it

Benjamin Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, David Friedman and Miriam Adelson, per the White House; the State of Israel requested the pardon.

Response

The White House said Israel had apologized and sought the pardon to close the chapter in U.S.-Israel relations. We found no statement from Sella in the sources reviewed.

Note: Sources differ on the indictment year: the White House said 1986, NBC News said March 1987.

Bill K. Kapri

Florida rapper known as Kodak Black

Bill Kapri, the rapper Kodak Black, was sentenced in 2019 to 46 months in prison after admitting he falsified information on federal forms to buy firearms, NBC News reported. Trump commuted the rest of the sentence; the White House said he had served nearly half of it and listed supporters including Pastor Darrell Scott, Bernie Kerik, Gucci Mane, Lil Yachty and NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson.

His lawyer Bradford Cohen said Kapri was happy to see his family. Since then he has been arrested several times: in July 2022 after troopers reported finding oxycodone tablets and cash, in 2023 on a cocaine charge that was later dismissed, and in May 2026 on a drug-trafficking charge to which he pleaded not guilty, NBC 6 South Florida reported. A separate 2026 fleeing charge was dismissed in September, NBC 6 reported.

Offense of record

Lied on federal forms when buying guns

Ties to Trump

Recording artist; supporters listed by the White House included Bernie Kerik and Pastor Darrell Scott.

Who pushed for it

Pastor Darrell Scott, Rabbi Schneur Kaplan, Bernie Kerik, Hunter Pollack, Gucci Mane, Lil Pump, Lil Yachty, Lamar Jackson and Jack Brewer, per the White House.

Response

"He appreciates President Trump for taking the time to recognize that he can contribute to society in a meaningful way," attorney Bradford Cohen said (NBC News). The White House cited his charitable giving.

Since then

July 2022: arrested in Fort Lauderdale after troopers reported finding 31 oxycodone tablets and $74,960 cash. 2023: cocaine-possession case later dismissed. May 2026: arrested on a drug-trafficking charge (pleaded not guilty) and on a fleeing charge that was dismissed on 2026-09-08 (NBC 6 South Florida). An Orange County drug-possession case was pending as of September 2026.

Casey Urlacher

Mayor of Mettawa, Illinois, and brother of former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher

Casey Urlacher, the mayor of the Chicago suburb of Mettawa, was named in a 2020 federal grand jury indictment accusing him of helping run an illegal offshore gambling business, NBC News reported. He faced two counts, each carrying up to five years. He was pardoned while the charges were pending, so he was never tried or convicted.

The White House said the pardon was supported by friends, family and “countless members of his community,” and described him as the unpaid mayor of Mettawa and a devoted husband and father. NBC News noted he is the brother of former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

The case

Charged, not convicted, with helping run an illegal offshore gambling business

Ties to Trump

Sitting mayor of Mettawa, Illinois, at the time of the pardon (NBC News, White House).

Who pushed for it

Friends, family and community members, per the White House.

Response

The White House said Urlacher "has been committed to public service and has consistently given back to his community." No other public response was found in the sources reviewed.

Note: Pardoned before trial: charged but never convicted. We could not retrieve local news coverage for this profile.

Desiree Perez

Chief executive of Jay-Z's entertainment company Roc Nation

Desiree Perez, the CEO of Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z, received a full pardon for a 1990s federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and a later probation violation, according to the Justice Department’s list. Billboard reported the conviction was more than 25 years old.

The White House said she had “taken full accountability for her actions,” had been gainfully employed and was an advocate for criminal justice reform. Perez told Billboard she was grateful to have “formally closed that chapter of my life in the eyes of the law.” Billboard noted that Roc Nation had worked on criminal justice issues, including the REFORM initiative with Meek Mill. NBC News also listed her among the notable grants.

Offense of record

Conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the 1990s

Ties to Trump

Music-industry executive (CEO of Roc Nation), per Billboard and NBC News.

Who pushed for it

No named supporters in the White House statement.

Response

"I'm grateful to have received a pardon and to have formally closed that chapter of my life in the eyes of the law," Perez said in a statement to Billboard.

Note: NBC News described 1994 and 1998 arrests that do not match the offenses on the Justice Department list; this profile follows the DOJ list.

Douglas Jemal

Washington, D.C., real estate developer and founder of Douglas Development

Douglas Jemal founded Douglas Development, which owns millions of square feet of real estate in the Washington area, the Washington Business Journal reported (via WTOP). In 2007 he was sentenced to five years’ probation and a $175,000 fine for wire fraud. At the same trial prosecutors had alleged that Jemal and others gave a city official gifts in exchange for real estate deals; he was found not guilty of those bribery and conspiracy charges.

The White House described him as a businessman and philanthropist credited with rebuilding urban areas and said the trial judge had called it “inconceivable” to send him to prison. The statement named no individual supporters. We found no other reporting on how the request reached the White House.

Offense of record

Wire fraud; acquitted of related bribery charges

Money

DOJ records a $175,000 fine.

Who pushed for it

None named in the White House statement.

Response

The White House cited his charitable work, including rebuilding churches, and the trial judge's view that prison was "inconceivable." No statement from Jemal was found in the sources reviewed.

Dwayne Michael Carter

Grammy-winning rapper and music executive known as Lil Wayne

Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., the rapper Lil Wayne, pleaded guilty in December 2020 to a federal weapons charge after carrying a handgun from California to Florida on his private jet, NBC News reported; earlier felony convictions barred him from possessing firearms. He was pardoned before sentencing.

NBC News described him as a Trump supporter who had recently met with the president on criminal justice issues. His lawyer, Howard Srebnick, said the gold-plated gun was a collector’s piece and that prosecuting a non-violent person for possession raised Second Amendment concerns. The White House quoted supporters Brett Berish of Sovereign Brands and Deion Sanders. CNN also reported the pardon.

Offense of record

Possessed a gun despite earlier felony convictions

Ties to Trump

NBC News described Carter as a Trump supporter who had frequently expressed support for Trump and recently met with him on criminal justice issues.

Who pushed for it

Brett Berish of Sovereign Brands and Deion Sanders, per the White House.

Response

"The gold-plated firearm, which Mr. Carter never operated, is a collector's piece, given to him as a Father's Day gift," lawyer Howard Srebnick said (NBC News).

Eliyahu Weinstein

Lakewood, New Jersey, real estate investor serving 24 years for fraud

Eliyahu Weinstein was serving the eighth year of a 24-year sentence for a real estate investment fraud and money laundering when Trump commuted it, NBC News reported. The Justice Department list records more than $215 million in restitution.

The White House listed supporters including former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman, Alan Dershowitz, three Republican congressmen and Jessica Jackson of the REFORM Alliance. Lobbyist Nick Muzin reported receiving $75,000 to lobby for him, The Washington Post reported. In an August 2026 staff report, House Judiciary Committee Democrats said that after his release Weinstein ran a new scheme that took $44 million from investors, and that in 2025 he was convicted again and sentenced to 37 years.

Offense of record

Ran real estate investment frauds that cost investors hundreds of millions

Ties to Trump

Nick Muzin reported receiving $75,000 to lobby for Weinstein's clemency, per public records reported by The Washington Post. Supporters included Jessica Jackson of the REFORM Alliance (White House).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $221.5 million. Reported pardon lobbying: $75,000. Restitution sums the two DOJ-recorded orders ($215,350,459 and $6,176,750). Lobbying figure is Muzin's reported fee (Washington Post).

Who pushed for it

Brett Tolman, Bob Barr, Joseph Whittle, Alan Dershowitz, Reps. Mark Walker, Scott Perry and Jeff Van Drew, Jessica Jackson of the REFORM Alliance and the Tzedek Association, per the White House; lobbyist Nick Muzin (Washington Post).

Response

Muzin said he was "proud" of his firm's role in giving Weinstein "a second chance" (Washington Post). House Judiciary Democrats called him "both a repeat offender and a repeat player" in Trump's clemency system.

Since then

2025: convicted of securities fraud, wire fraud and obstruction over a new investment scheme and sentenced to 37 years with $44 million restitution, according to the House Judiciary Democrats' August 2026 report.

Note: NBC News wrote that he was "pardoned"; the Justice Department records a commutation. The 2025 reconviction is sourced to a House Democratic staff report; we could not cache a news or DOJ account of it.

Elliott Broidy

Top Trump fundraiser and former Republican National Committee deputy finance chair

Elliott Broidy, a top Republican fundraiser involved in Trump’s 2016 inaugural committee, pleaded guilty in October 2020 to conspiracy over a secret campaign to lobby the Trump administration on behalf of a foreign billionaire, CNN reported. Prosecutors said the effort sought to end the U.S. investigation into the looting of Malaysia’s 1MDB fund and to remove a Chinese national living in the U.S., and that Broidy was paid $9 million. He agreed to forfeit $6.6 million.

Trump pardoned him before sentencing. The Washington Post reported that some top White House officials, including counsel Pat Cipollone, urged Trump to resist the grant, and that co-defendant Nickie Lum Davis was not pardoned. The White House listed supporters including Reps. Devin Nunes and Ken Calvert and Ric Grenell. AP reported he had resigned his RNC post in 2018.

Offense of record

Secretly lobbied the Trump administration for foreign interests without registering

Ties to Trump

The Washington Post described Broidy as a Republican megadonor who had raised millions for Trump's 2016 campaign; he was RNC deputy finance chair (White House, AP).

Money

Prosecutors said Broidy was paid $9 million for the lobbying effort and he agreed to forfeit $6.6 million (CNN). Whether the pardon affected the forfeiture was not reported in our sources.

Who pushed for it

Reps. Devin Nunes, Ken Calvert, Jack Bergman and George Holding, Ric Grenell, Bernie Marcus, Alveda King, Frank Pavone and others, per the White House.

Response

A Broidy representative said he had not spoken to Trump in two years about his case (Washington Post). Nickie Lum Davis's lawyer said "It is incomprehensible that any decision to grant clemency to Mr. Broidy would not also include a pardon for Ms. Davis"; Broidy's attorney said the difference did not make his pardon improper.

Since then

Co-defendant Nickie Lum Davis, who was not pardoned, was awaiting sentencing as of February 2021 (Washington Post).

Faustino Bernadett

Retired anesthesiologist tied to a Southern California hospital kickback case

Faustino Bernadett, a retired anesthesiologist, was sentenced in 2020 to 15 months in federal prison in a long-running health care fraud case in which, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he authorized sham contracts that concealed more than $30 million in illegal kickbacks to physicians, NBC News reported. The Justice Department list records his conviction as misprision of a felony; he was due to surrender in February 2021.

The White House gave a different account: it said he “failed to report” a kickback scheme he became aware of around 2008, was not part of the scheme itself, and had spent the past year helping his community during COVID-19. The statement named no supporters.

Offense of record

Failed to report a hospital kickback scheme he knew about

Money

DOJ records a $60,000 fine. The U.S. Attorney's Office said the overall scheme produced more than $900 million in fraudulent bills (NBC News).

Who pushed for it

None named in the White House statement.

Response

The White House said Trump "determined that it is in the interests of justice and Dr. Bernadett's community that he may continue his volunteer and charitable work."

Since then

The pardon came before his scheduled February 2021 prison surrender date recorded by the Justice Department.

Note: The U.S. Attorney's Office (as reported by NBC News) and the White House describe his role differently; the conviction recorded by DOJ is misprision of a felony.

Glen Moss

Connecticut businessman described as longtime friends with the Trump family

Glen Moss, of Brookfield, Connecticut, pleaded guilty in 1998 to tax evasion and conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute after a regional health care fraud investigation, the Danbury News-Times reported. The Justice Department list also records a South Carolina mail fraud case with $412,000 restitution.

The White House cited his philanthropy, including Danbury Hospital and Ann’s Place. The News-Times found he had given $550 to the hospital and that Ann’s Place had no record of donations. It reported that Moss had publicly thanked “Mr. President and the entire Trump Family for being great friends for many years” after receiving a condolence letter from Trump, and that a records search found no campaign contributions to Trump.

Offense of record

Tax evasion and health care kickbacks; separate mail fraud

Ties to Trump

Moss publicly thanked Trump and his family "for being great friends for many years," the Danbury News-Times reported.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $412,000. The News-Times found no campaign contributions to Trump in a public records search. DOJ also records a $4,000 fine and a probation condition tied to $100,000 in unpaid taxes.

Who pushed for it

None named in the White House statement.

Response

Moss could not be reached for comment, the News-Times reported. Danbury Hospital said he had given $550 since 1992; Ann's Place said it had no record of donations from him.

Gregory Louis Reyes

Former CEO of Brocade Communications, convicted in a stock-option backdating fraud case

Gregory Reyes ran Brocade Communications, a Silicon Valley data-storage company. Federal prosecutors charged him with fraud over the backdating of employee stock options. The ABA Journal reported that he was the first executive tried for options backdating. The Justice Department’s clemency record lists 2010 convictions for securities fraud, false SEC filings and false statements to accountants, with 18 months in prison and a $15 million fine.

Trump pardoned him on January 19, 2021. The White House said the pardon was backed by Shon Hopwood and former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman. It also said the Ninth Circuit had thrown out his convictions over prosecutorial misconduct. In 2026 NBC News noted that this was the first trial. Reyes was tried again, and the same appeals court upheld the second conviction.

Offense of record

Fraud tied to backdating stock options and falsifying company records

Money

The DOJ record lists a $15,000,000 fine. NBC News reported in 2026 that Reyes still owed the $15 million fine when he was pardoned.

Who pushed for it

Shon Hopwood and former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman, per the White House announcement.

Response

The White House said Reyes "has accepted full responsibility for his actions" and had been out of prison for more than eight years. In 2026 NBC News reported that the White House's description left out the retrial and the upheld second conviction.

Note: Little contemporary coverage of the pardon itself; the profile rests on the White House announcement, a 2008 legal-press report and a 2026 NBC News analysis.

Hillel "Helly" Nahmad

New York art dealer who pleaded guilty to financing an illegal sports-gambling business

Hillel “Helly” Nahmad is a Manhattan art dealer from a prominent art-dealing family. He pleaded guilty in 2013 to an illegal gambling charge. The U.S. Attorney in Manhattan said Nahmad was the main financier of a nationwide sports-betting business that served very wealthy clients. He was sentenced in 2014 to a year and a day in prison and a $30,000 fine. He was also ordered to forfeit $6.4 million and a Raoul Dufy painting.

Trump pardoned him on January 19, 2021. The White House said only that the pardon was “supported by members of his community” and that he had “lived an exemplary life” since his conviction. ARTnews reported that Nahmad served about five months. It also reported that he has long lived in Trump Tower, where over the years he bought every unit on the 51st floor.

Offense of record

Financed and helped run an illegal high-stakes sports-gambling business

Ties to Trump

ARTnews reported that Nahmad has long lived in Trump Tower and owns the entire 51st floor, citing Bloomberg. No source found ties this to the pardon.

Money

Ordered to forfeit $6,427,000 and a painting, per the U.S. Attorney's office; fined $30,000 per the DOJ record.

Who pushed for it

The White House said only that the pardon was supported by "members of his community."

Response

The White House said that since his conviction Nahmad "has lived an exemplary life and has been dedicated to the well-being of his community." At his 2014 sentencing, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said the case "came with a steep price" for Nahmad. No comment from Nahmad on the pardon was found.

Joey Murray Hancock

Mississippi man convicted in a 2010 federal methamphetamine conspiracy case

Joey Murray Hancock was convicted in the Northern District of Mississippi of conspiring to possess more than 50 grams of a methamphetamine mixture with intent to distribute. According to the Justice Department’s clemency record, he was sentenced in 2010 to 24 months in prison and five years of supervised release, and he had finished that sentence before the pardon.

Trump granted him a full pardon on January 19, 2021. The White House said the pardon was supported by Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and by Hancock’s employer, his pastor and others in his community. It said that since his release he had been “a hard-working employee and active in his church and community.” NBC News reprinted the White House description in its list of the final grants. No further reporting on the case was found.

Offense of record

Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine

Who pushed for it

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), plus Hancock's employer, pastor and community members, per the White House.

Response

The White House said that after his release Hancock "has been a hard-working employee and active in his church and community." No other public reaction was found.

Note: Little public coverage; the profile rests on the White House announcement, as reprinted by NBC News, and the DOJ clemency record.

Jonathan Braun

New York marijuana smuggler and lender whose 10-year sentence Trump cut short

Jonathan Braun pleaded guilty to conspiring to import marijuana and to money laundering. NBC News reported that customs records valued the marijuana he smuggled from 2008 to 2010 at about $1.76 billion. He received a 10-year sentence. Trump commuted it on January 19, 2021. The White House said Braun would “seek employment to support his wife and children.”

CNBC, citing The New York Times, reported that Braun’s family used its connections to the family of Jared Kushner to set the clemency in motion. The commutation also cut short prosecutors’ efforts to get his cooperation in a predatory-lending investigation. In February 2024 a federal judge fined Braun $20 million in a Federal Trade Commission predatory-lending case. In August 2024 he was arrested on state assault charges and pleaded not guilty.

Offense of record

Smuggled marijuana into the U.S. and laundered the proceeds

Ties to Trump

CNBC, citing The New York Times, reported that Braun's family used connections to the family of Jared Kushner, then a senior White House aide, to set the clemency in motion.

Money

The DOJ record lists a $100,000 fine. Separately, in February 2024 a federal judge ordered Braun to pay $20 million in an FTC predatory-lending lawsuit, CNBC reported.

Who pushed for it

Braun's family, working through connections to the Kushner family, according to New York Times reporting cited by CNBC.

Response

After Braun's 2024 arrest, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said "President Trump wants criminals to spend time behind bars," CNBC reported. Judge Jed Rakoff wrote in the FTC case that Braun took part in illegal lending "gleefully, with little remorse." Braun's lawyer said he would "address the allegations judicially."

Since then

February 2024: fined $20 million in the FTC civil case. August 2024: arrested in Nassau County, N.Y., on assault charges involving family members, pleaded not guilty and was released (CNBC). He remained on federal supervised release.

Note: The outcome of the 2024 state assault case and any later federal supervised-release proceedings were not verified for this profile.

Kenneth Kurson

Former New York Observer editor and Kushner friend, pardoned before trial on cyberstalking charges

Ken Kurson edited the New York Observer while Jared Kushner owned it. In October 2020 federal prosecutors charged him with cyberstalking and harassment during a bitter divorce. NBC News described him as a friend of Trump’s son-in-law. Trump pardoned him on January 19, 2021, before any trial, so he was never convicted of the federal charges. Business Insider reported that he had been nominated in 2018 to the board of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Citing The New York Times, it also said he helped write a 2016 Trump campaign speech.

The White House quoted his ex-wife as opposing the case. It said the investigation “only began because Mr. Kurson was nominated to a role within the Trump Administration.” A federal pardon does not cover state crimes. In August 2021 the Manhattan district attorney charged him with state cyberstalking-related offenses, New York magazine reported.

The case

Charged (never tried) with cyberstalking and harassment; pardoned before trial

Ties to Trump

Business Insider reported that Kurson is a close friend of Jared Kushner and, citing The New York Times, that he helped write a Trump campaign speech in 2016.

Who pushed for it

The White House cited a letter from Kurson's ex-wife saying she never wanted the investigation.

Response

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., announcing state charges, said: "We will not accept presidential pardons as get-out-of-jail-free cards for the well-connected in New York." Kurson had denied the federal charges, New York magazine reported.

Since then

August 18, 2021: arrested on state charges brought by the Manhattan district attorney over alleged spying on his then-wife's accounts (New York magazine).

Note: How the 2021 state case was resolved was not verified for this profile.

Mahmoud Reza Banki

Iranian American scientist whose sanctions conviction was overturned, leaving false-statement counts

Mahmoud Reza Banki, an Iranian-born U.S. citizen with a Princeton doctorate, was charged in 2010 with violating U.S. sanctions on Iran through money transfers and with making false statements. The White House said the appeals court in New York later overturned the sanctions convictions. The Justice Department’s clemency record shows that two false-statement counts remained, with a $5,000 fine as amended on appeal.

Trump pardoned Banki on January 19, 2021. The White House said the pardon was supported by “many elected officials of stature,” including the late Democratic Rep. John Lewis and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein. It said the felony record had kept him from “resuming a full life.” NBC News reprinted the White House description. No independent reporting on the pardon was found.

Offense of record

Making false statements to federal investigators (sanctions counts overturned on appeal)

Money

The DOJ record lists a $5,000 fine (as amended on appeal).

Who pushed for it

The late Rep. John Lewis, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and other members of Congress, per the White House.

Response

The White House said that since his conviction Banki "has dedicated himself to his community and maintained a sincere love and respect for the United States." No other public reaction was found.

Note: Little public coverage of the pardon; the profile rests on the White House announcement, as reprinted by NBC News, and the DOJ clemency record.

Michael A. Liberty

Maine real-estate developer convicted of illegal straw donations to Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign

Michael Liberty is a former Portland, Maine, real-estate developer. The Bangor Daily News reported that he pleaded guilty in 2016 to illegally giving $22,500 to Mitt Romney’s 2012 primary campaign. He split the money into nine donations made in other people’s names. He was sentenced to four months in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Trump pardoned him on January 19, 2021. The White House listed support from Maine state Rep. Susan Austin and two others. The Bangor Daily News, citing Federal Election Commission records, reported that Liberty gave more than $41,000 to Trump’s 2020 re-election effort, including the RNC and Trump’s campaign. When pardoned he also faced a separate federal indictment accusing him of misleading investors in Mozido, a company he founded. The Portland Press Herald reported that a prosecutors’ spokesman was unsure how the pardon would be used to dismiss those charges.

Offense of record

Made illegal campaign donations in other people's names

Ties to Trump

Liberty gave more than $41,000 to the RNC, Trump's campaign and another pro-Trump committee in 2020, according to FEC records reported by the Bangor Daily News. A donation is not evidence that it influenced the pardon.

Money

Reported political donations: $41,000. "More than $41,000" to Trump re-election groups in 2020, per FEC records reported by the Bangor Daily News. The DOJ record lists a $100,000 fine.

Who pushed for it

Maine state Rep. Susan Austin, Cape Elizabeth town manager Matthew Sturgis and Anthony Fratianne, a lawyer the Bangor Daily News said works for the Liberty family.

Response

Liberty's lawyer declined an interview, the Press Herald reported. Supporter Matt Sturgis told the Bangor Daily News that the pardon was "a great second chance."

Since then

At the time of the pardon, Liberty faced a pending federal fraud indictment in Maine over the Mozido investor case. A prosecutors' spokesman said he was unsure how the pardon would be raised in court to dismiss it (Press Herald, January 2021).

Note: What happened to the separate Mozido fraud indictment after the pardon was not verified for this profile.

Michael H. Ashley

Long Island mortgage executive convicted of bank fraud after Lend America's 2009 collapse

Michael Ashley was chief business strategist at Lend America, a Long Island mortgage lender that collapsed in 2009. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud in 2011. In 2019 he was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay about $49.3 million in restitution. Newsday reported that the collapse left $49 million in federally backed loans unfunded. A bankruptcy judge also found that Ashley had diverted over $50 million.

Trump commuted his sentence on January 19, 2021, before Ashley had reported to prison. The White House cited support from Alan Dershowitz, Pastor Darrel Scott, the Aleph Institute and others. NBC News and Newsday reported that the commutation erased the prison term but left the restitution, forfeiture and supervised release in place. A borrower who lost her home called it “a slap in the face to everybody that was harmed.”

Offense of record

Bank fraud tied to a mortgage lender's collapse

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $49.3 million. Restitution per the DOJ record. Newsday reported that the commutation left the restitution, $800,000 forfeiture and five-year supervised release unchanged.

Who pushed for it

Alan Dershowitz, Pastor Darrel Scott, Rabbi Zvi Boyarski, the Aleph Institute, Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, Gary Apfel and Bradford Cohen, per the White House.

Response

The White House quoted the sentencing judge as saying "I know that you are a changed man." Geneva Driver, who lost her home after taking out a loan from Lend America's parent company, told Newsday: "The people that are corrupt, they win again." Ashley's lawyer did not respond to Newsday.

Richard George Renzi

Former Republican congressman from Arizona convicted in a land-swap corruption case

Rick Renzi was a Republican congressman from Arizona from 2003 to 2009. The Arizona Republic reported that he was convicted in 2013 of racketeering, money laundering and other federal charges tied to a land-swap scheme. The Justice Department’s clemency record lists extortion, honest-services fraud, money laundering, insurance fraud and racketeering counts, with 36 months in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Trump pardoned him on January 19, 2021. The Republic reported that Renzi had sought the pardon for years and that Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) had recently pushed for it. KJZZ reported that Gosar called the Justice Department “corrupt and inept.” The White House listed Gosar, Rep. Tom Cole and several former members of Congress as supporters. Renzi said he had been wrongly convicted, Business Insider reported.

Offense of record

Used his congressional office in a land deal; extortion, fraud and racketeering

Ties to Trump

Renzi is a former Republican member of Congress. His pardon was backed by sitting and former Republican members of Congress, per the White House.

Money

The DOJ record lists a $25,000 fine.

Who pushed for it

Rep. Paul Gosar, Rep. Tom Cole, former Reps. Tom DeLay, Jack Kingston, Todd Tiahrt, John Doolittle, Duncan Hunter Sr., Richard Pombo, Charles Taylor and Dan Burton, and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, per the White House.

Response

Renzi said in a statement that it "took a real man of action and courage in President Trump" to relieve him of being "wrongly convicted" by a Justice Department he accused of witness tampering and misconduct (Business Insider). Gosar had called the prosecutors "corrupt" (KJZZ).

Note: The White House release described a 2-year sentence; the DOJ clemency record lists 36 months, which this profile follows.

Robert Zangrillo

Miami investor charged in the Varsity Blues college-admissions case, pardoned before trial

Robert Zangrillo, a Miami developer and founder of the investment firm Dragon Global, was charged in 2019 in the “Varsity Blues” college-admissions case. Federal prosecutors in Boston accused him of paying $250,000 to get his daughter into the University of Southern California as a transfer student, the Associated Press reported. He pleaded not guilty and denied paying bribes. Trump pardoned him on January 19, 2021, before his trial, so he was never convicted. CNN reported that no other parent in the case was pardoned.

The White House listed supporters including Len Blavatnik, Sean Parker and Tom Barrack, a USC trustee and longtime Trump friend. A Barrack spokesperson denied any role, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Times also reported that USC said Zangrillo’s daughter was not then enrolled, although the White House had said she was earning a 3.9 GPA there.

The case

Charged (never tried) with paying to get his daughter into USC; pardoned before trial

Ties to Trump

The White House listed Trump's longtime friend Tom Barrack among supporters; Barrack's spokesperson said he "had nothing whatsoever" to do with the pardon (Los Angeles Times, AP).

Money

Prosecutors alleged $50,000 to USC athletics and $200,000 to admissions consultant Rick Singer's charity (AP).

Who pushed for it

Len Blavatnik, Geoff Palmer, Tom Barrack, Sean Parker, Walid Abu-Zalaf, Medo Alsaloussi and Kevin Downing, per the White House (Barrack denied involvement).

Response

Zangrillo's lawyers had called his USC payment "a donation indistinguishable" from other parents' gifts. A Barrack spokesperson said "All reports to the contrary are patently false." The U.S. attorney's office in Massachusetts declined to comment (AP).

Salomon E. Melgen

Florida eye doctor convicted of Medicare fraud; a friend and donor of Sen. Bob Menendez

Salomon Melgen was a prominent South Florida ophthalmologist. He was convicted in 2017 of health care fraud and related charges and sentenced to 17 years. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that he became the nation’s highest-paid Medicare doctor by giving elderly patients unnecessary eye injections and laser treatments. The Justice Department’s record lists $53 million in restitution.

He was also tried with Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on bribery charges, which ended in a hung jury. NBC News reported that Menendez lobbied Trump for him. Trump commuted Melgen’s prison term on January 19, 2021, after he had served about four years. The Sun Sentinel and the White House said Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart also supported him. WPTV noted that he had hosted political fundraisers at his home. Melgen called the decision the end of “a serious miscarriage of justice,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Offense of record

Billed Medicare for unnecessary eye treatments and falsified patient records

Ties to Trump

Melgen was a Democratic donor and close friend of Sen. Bob Menendez, who lobbied for the commutation (NBC News, Sun Sentinel). No donations to Trump were found.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $53 million. Restitution per the DOJ record (as amended). The commutation covered his prison term only.

Who pushed for it

Sen. Bob Menendez, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, members of Brigade 2506 and others, per the White House; NBC News reported Menendez lobbied Trump.

Response

Melgen said that "Throughout this ordeal, I have come to realize the very deep flaws in our justice system" (Chicago Sun-Times). Prosecutors had described his treatment of patients as "barbaric and inhumane," the Sun-Times reported.

Note: Some outlets described the grant as a pardon; the DOJ record shows it was a commutation of his prison sentence.

Sholam Weiss

New York businessman serving an 835-year sentence for frauds that sank an insurance company

Sholam Weiss was convicted in Florida federal court in 2000 of racketeering, money laundering and related crimes. Bloomberg reported that the frauds led to the collapse of the National Heritage Life Insurance Co. His 835-year sentence was believed to be the longest ever for a white-collar crime. The Justice Department’s record also lists $125 million in restitution and a $123 million fine.

Trump commuted his prison term on January 19, 2021. The White House said Weiss had served more than 18 years, was 66 and had chronic health problems. It listed backers including former Attorney General Edwin Meese, former Solicitors General Ken Starr and Seth Waxman, and former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman. NBC News reported that Alan Dershowitz and Jay Sekulow wrote letters to Trump on his behalf. The Chicago Sun-Times listed him among the white-collar defendants Trump freed.

Offense of record

Racketeering and money laundering in frauds that collapsed an insurance company

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $125 million. Restitution per the DOJ record; the record also lists a $123,399,910 fine and a $57.2 million forfeiture order. The White House said he had "paid substantial restitution"; no figure was given.

Who pushed for it

Edwin Meese, Ken Starr, Seth Waxman, Bob Barr, Alan Dershowitz, Jay Sekulow, Brett Tolman and members of the New York legislature, per the White House and NBC News.

Response

The White House said Weiss "has already served over 18 years and paid substantial restitution" and "suffers from chronic health conditions." No comment from prosecutors or victims was found in the sources reviewed.

Since then

Bloomberg reported that Weiss returned home to his family after the commutation.

Note: The White House and NBC News spell his first name "Shalom"; the DOJ record uses "Sholam."

Stephen Bannon

Trump's former White House chief strategist, pardoned before trial in the 'We Build the Wall' fraud case

Steve Bannon ran the final months of Trump’s 2016 campaign and served as White House chief strategist. In August 2020 federal prosecutors in New York charged him with defrauding donors to “We Build the Wall,” a private fundraising campaign for a border wall, CNN reported. Trump pardoned him on January 19, 2021, before trial, so he was never convicted of the federal charges. The White House said the charges stemmed “from his involvement in a political project.” Rep. Adam Schiff called the administration a “den of thieves,” NBC News reported.

Two co-defendants who were not pardoned pleaded guilty and went to prison. A federal pardon does not cover state crimes, so Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought state charges. In February 2025 Bannon pleaded guilty to one count of scheme to defraud and avoided jail, the AP reported. He had already served four months in 2024 for contempt of Congress.

The case

Charged (never tried federally) with defrauding border-wall donors; later pleaded guilty in state court

Ties to Trump

Bannon was Trump's 2016 campaign chief executive and White House chief strategist, and a longtime ally (NBC News, CNN).

Money

The campaign raised more than $25 million (CNN, NBC News) or more than $20 million (AP); prosecutors alleged Bannon's nonprofit used more than $1 million of it.

Response

The White House said Bannon "has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen." Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said: "Thank God we have only 12 more hours of this den of thieves." Bannon called the later state case a "political persecution" (AP).

Since then

2024: served four months in federal prison for defying a subpoena from the congressional Jan. 6 investigation, released in October. Feb. 11, 2025: pleaded guilty in Manhattan state court to scheme to defraud in the We Build the Wall case, with no jail time (AP via PBS).

David Francis Rowland

South Carolina asbestos contractor given probation in a Clean Air Act case

David Rowland was sentenced in 1997 in the District of South Carolina to two years of probation. According to the White House, his asbestos-removal license had lapsed when he agreed to remove asbestos found in an elementary school; it said he otherwise followed the rules, but was convicted of a Clean Air Act violation. The Justice Department’s clemency list records the offense as two counts under federal enforcement procedures.

Trump pardoned him in the final days of his first term; the White House announced it on Jan. 20, 2021. The White House said the pardon was supported by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, that Rowland “accepts responsibility and is remorseful,” and that he has kept working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation after finishing his court-ordered community service. NBC News carried the White House description in its list of the final clemency grants. No other news coverage of the case was found.

Offense of record

Removed asbestos from a school after his removal license had lapsed

Who pushed for it

Sen. Lindsey Graham, per the White House.

Response

The White House said 'Mr. Rowland accepts responsibility and is remorseful.' No other public reaction found.

Note: Little public coverage; the profile rests on the White House statement, which NBC News reprinted, and the Justice Department clemency list.

David Tamman

Former law-firm partner who altered documents for a client running a Ponzi scheme

David Tamman was a partner at a major law firm when he doctored financial documents that were the subject of a federal investigation, at the behest of a client who was running a Ponzi scheme, according to the White House. NBC News reported, citing the Justice Department, that the scheme took $22 million from victims and that Tamman was found guilty of 10 counts, including obstruction of justice, altering records in a federal investigation and being an accessory after the fact. He was convicted in 2013 and completed his seven-year sentence in 2019.

The White House said the pardon, announced Jan. 20, 2021, was supported by the Aleph Institute, former FBI Director Louis Freeh and former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey. It said Tamman “accepts full responsibility for his actions” and called the conduct “a terrible lapse in judgment.” No reaction from prosecutors or victims was found.

Offense of record

Altered financial records to obstruct a federal fraud investigation of a client

Ties to Trump

Supported by the Aleph Institute, per the White House.

Money

The sentence included a $2,500 fine, per the Justice Department.

Who pushed for it

The Aleph Institute, former FBI Director Louis Freeh and former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey, per the White House.

Response

The White House said 'Mr. Tamman accepts full responsibility for his actions' and that colleagues attested he 'is a decent man who experienced a terrible lapse in judgment.' No public reaction from prosecutors or victims found.

Note: Little public coverage of the pardon beyond the White House statement and pardon-day lists.

Deborah L. Jorgensen

South Dakota beef marketer convicted with her family of selling misbranded beef

Deborah Jorgensen was convicted in 1996 with Gregory and Martin Jorgensen in a case over beef sold under the Dakota Lean brand. The White House said the family marketed the beef as heart-healthy and free of antibiotics and hormones, but when demand outstripped supply they mixed in commercial beef trim and knowingly sold misbranded beef. She was sentenced to 12 months and one day, KELOLAND News reported.

Trump granted her a full pardon, announced Jan. 20, 2021. Gov. Kristi Noem sent letters supporting the pardons, KELOLAND reported, and the White House said Sen. Mike Rounds also backed them. Noem thanked Trump, saying the administration had done “an excellent job balancing justice with forgiveness.” The White House cited the family’s community service and said they had shown remorse. It said Deborah is a lifelong member of a nonprofit that promotes educational opportunities for women.

Offense of record

Sold ordinary beef labeled as premium heart-healthy, hormone-free beef

Money

The sentence included a $20,000 fine, per the Justice Department.

Who pushed for it

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who sent letters of support, and Sen. Mike Rounds, per KELOLAND News and the White House.

Response

Noem said she was 'tremendously thankful to President Trump' for the pardons, per KELOLAND News. The White House said the family 'has shown remorse.' No reaction from prosecutors or customers found.

Note: Sources differ on family relationships (NBC News described Deborah as Martin's wife); this profile does not state them.

Gregory L. Jorgensen

South Dakota beef marketer convicted of selling misbranded "Dakota Lean" beef

Gregory Jorgensen and his father, Martin, organized South Dakota cattle producers in the 1980s to sell processed beef under the Dakota Lean brand, marketed as heart-healthy and free of antibiotics and hormones. When demand outstripped supply, the family mixed in commercial beef trim and knowingly sold misbranded beef, according to the White House. Gregory, Deborah and Martin Jorgensen were convicted in 1996 of conspiracy and the fraudulent sale of misbranded meat; Gregory was sentenced to 24 months, KELOLAND News reported.

Trump granted him a full pardon, announced Jan. 20, 2021. Gov. Kristi Noem sent letters supporting the pardons, KELOLAND reported, and the White House said Sen. Mike Rounds also backed them. Noem thanked Trump, saying the administration had done “an excellent job balancing justice with forgiveness.” The White House cited the family’s community service and said they had shown remorse. It said Gregory was twice elected to the Tripp County commission.

Offense of record

Sold ordinary beef labeled as premium heart-healthy, hormone-free beef

Money

The sentence included a $40,000 fine, per the Justice Department.

Who pushed for it

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who sent letters of support, and Sen. Mike Rounds, per KELOLAND News and the White House.

Response

Noem said she was 'tremendously thankful to President Trump' for the pardons, per KELOLAND News. The White House said the family 'has shown remorse.' No reaction from prosecutors or customers found.

Jon Michael Harder

Former CEO of Oregon senior-housing manager Sunwest Management, sentenced to 15 years for fraud

Jon Harder was president and CEO of Sunwest Management Inc., a large company running residential senior-care facilities. According to the White House, he misused investment funds during the real-estate crisis; he pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering and was sentenced in 2015 to 15 years in prison. Trump commuted the sentence after nearly five years; the White House announced it on Jan. 20, 2021.

The White House said the commutation was backed by Michael Hogan, the former federal judge who oversaw Sunwest’s bankruptcy and receivership, and by Ford Elsaesser, counsel to Sunwest’s creditors. It quoted Hogan saying Harder’s cooperation “against his substantial financial and penal interests” helped secure the sale of company assets so investors recovered more and residents could stay in their homes. NBC News carried the White House description. No independent coverage of the commutation or of victims’ reaction was found.

Offense of record

Misused investors' money while running a senior-housing company

Money

Investor losses were not stated in the sources found.

Who pushed for it

Former U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan and creditors' counsel Ford Elsaesser, per the White House.

Response

The White House said Harder 'fully accepted responsibility, pled guilty, and cooperated,' and quoted Elsaesser saying Harder 'acted more responsibly than any of his peers' among wrongdoers of the 2008 crash. No reaction from prosecutors or investors found.

Note: Little public coverage of the commutation found; the profile rests on the White House statement, which NBC News reprinted, and the Justice Department clemency list.

Kwame M. Kilpatrick

Former Democratic mayor of Detroit, sentenced to 28 years for corruption

Kwame Kilpatrick, Detroit’s mayor from 2002 until he resigned in 2008, was convicted in 2013 on 24 counts including racketeering, extortion, bribery and fraud, and was sentenced to 28 years, NPR reported. The White House said the commutation, announced Jan. 20, 2021, after about seven years in prison, was backed by Alveda King, Alice Johnson, Paula White, two Michigan state representatives and more than 30 faith leaders.

The commutation left in place his $4.7 million restitution bill and three years of supervised release, CBS Detroit reported. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan called it “a decision President Trump got right.” In 2025, Bridge Michigan reported a voicemail in which Kilpatrick said Trump had promised him a full pardon before he campaigned for Trump in 2024; Kilpatrick said it “wasn’t a quid pro quo.” He still owed more than $800,000 in restitution, Bridge reported.

Offense of record

Convicted of racketeering conspiracy, extortion and bribery as Detroit mayor

Ties to Trump

A Democrat, Kilpatrick campaigned for Trump in Detroit, Philadelphia and Georgia in 2024 and cut a pro-Trump radio ad for the Michigan Republican Party, per Bridge Michigan. Alice Marie Johnson backed the commutation, per the White House.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $4.8 million. The commutation left restitution in place, per CBS Detroit; Bridge Michigan reported he still owed $831,913 as of August 2024.

Who pushed for it

Alveda King, Alice Johnson, Diamond and Silk, Pastor Paula White, Peter Karmanos, Michigan state Reps. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo and Karen Whitsett, and more than 30 faith leaders, per the White House. Whitsett told Bridge Michigan that Trump said he was acting for her.

Response

Duggan called Kilpatrick 'a person of great talent who still has much to contribute' and said 'This is a decision President Trump got right,' per CBS Detroit. Some Detroit residents told CBS Detroit he should have served longer. NPR's guest Stephen Henderson described relief and rejoicing in Detroit.

Since then

In April 2025, Bridge Michigan reported Kilpatrick said Trump promised him a full pardon at Mar-a-Lago before he campaigned for Trump in 2024; Kilpatrick denied a quid pro quo. Prosecutors were still pursuing the restitution he owed, per Bridge Michigan. As of the Justice Department list, no full pardon had been granted.

Lynn Wade Barney

Utah man sentenced for possessing a gun after an earlier marijuana conviction

Lynn Barney was sentenced in 2005 in the District of Utah to 35 months in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The White House said his earlier conviction was for distributing a small amount of marijuana.

Trump granted him a full pardon, announced Jan. 20, 2021. The White House said it was supported by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and “numerous notable members of the Utah business community,” and that since leaving prison Barney has been “a model citizen” devoted to his work and children, described by his employer as “an exceedingly hard worker.” NBC News included the White House description in its list of Trump’s final clemency grants. No other news coverage of Barney’s case or of who sought the pardon was found, and no public statement from Barney was located.

Offense of record

Possessed a gun and ammunition after a prior felony conviction

Who pushed for it

Sen. Mike Lee and members of the Utah business community, per the White House.

Response

The White House said Barney 'has been a model citizen and has devoted himself to his work and children.' No other public reaction found.

Note: Little public coverage; the profile rests on the White House statement and the Justice Department clemency list.

Martin Frederick Jorgensen

South Dakota cattleman pardoned posthumously in a misbranded-beef case

Martin Jorgensen and his son Gregory organized South Dakota cattle producers in the 1980s to sell processed beef under the Dakota Lean brand, marketed as heart-healthy and free of antibiotics and hormones, according to the White House. The White House said that when demand outstripped supply, the family mixed in commercial beef trim and knowingly sold misbranded beef. KELOLAND News reported the family was convicted in 1996 and that Martin received 15 months. NBC News reported he died in 2019.

Trump granted him a posthumous pardon, announced Jan. 20, 2021, alongside full pardons for Gregory and Deborah Jorgensen. Gov. Kristi Noem sent letters supporting the family’s pardons, KELOLAND reported, and the White House said Sen. Mike Rounds also backed them and noted Martin had been named a cattle-industry businessman of the year.

Offense of record

Sold ordinary beef labeled as premium heart-healthy, hormone-free beef

Money

The sentence included a $40,000 fine, per the Justice Department.

Who pushed for it

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who sent letters of support, and Sen. Mike Rounds, per KELOLAND News and the White House.

Response

Noem said she was 'tremendously thankful to President Trump' for the pardons, per KELOLAND News. The White House said the family 'has shown remorse.' No reaction from prosecutors or customers found.

Note: Posthumous pardon. The Justice Department list dates Martin Jorgensen's sentence to July 3, 2003, while KELOLAND News and SDPB report the family was convicted and sentenced in 1996.

Paul Erickson

Republican political operative and ex-boyfriend of Russian agent Maria Butina, convicted of investor fraud

Paul Erickson, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Republican operative, is best known as the boyfriend of Maria Butina, the Russian who admitted acting as an unregistered agent. He was never charged in her case; instead he pleaded guilty in 2019 to wire fraud and money laundering for pitching investments to friends and pocketing the money, SDPB reported. He was sentenced in 2020 to seven years; the judge called him “a thief,” The Washington Post reported.

The White House said the pardon, signed Jan. 13, 2021, was supported by Kellyanne Conway, and called his conviction a product of “the Russian collusion hoax” and a “minor financial crime.” Victims objected: one called it a “slap in the face,” SDPB reported. Legal experts told SDPB the full pardon wiped out about $3 million in restitution owed to more than 50 victims. Gov. Kristi Noem’s office said she had nothing to do with it, KELOLAND reported.

Offense of record

Took friends' investment money for fake ventures and kept it

Ties to Trump

Longtime Republican operative, including national political director of Pat Buchanan's 1992 campaign, per SDPB. Kellyanne Conway supported the pardon, per the White House; Conway told The Washington Post she received no money for it.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $3 million. Restitution of $2,976,937 was ordered, per the Justice Department; experts told SDPB the full pardon wiped it out. The Washington Post reported losses of $5.3 million.

Who pushed for it

Kellyanne Conway, per the White House. Gov. Kristi Noem's office said she did not advocate for it, per KELOLAND and SDPB.

Response

Victim Susan Holden asked 'Minor to who?' and victim Lisa Coll Nicolaou said 'He pardoned the swamp,' per The Washington Post. Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance called it 'a get-out-jail-free card and a bank-account-restoration card,' per SDPB. Conway said Trump 'reviewed the Erickson matter and hundreds of requests like it at length with his legal counsel.' Erickson and his lawyer declined to comment to the Post.

Since then

Freed from prison on Inauguration Day 2021 after less than five months, per The Washington Post.

Randall Harold Cunningham

Former Republican congressman from San Diego and Navy fighter ace who pleaded guilty in a bribery case

Randall “Duke” Cunningham, a Vietnam War Navy ace, represented San Diego County in Congress until he resigned in 2005. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion for taking $2.4 million in bribes in return for influencing Defense Department contracts, Times of San Diego reported; the AP said it was considered the largest bribery scandal in congressional history. He was sentenced in 2006 to more than eight years and released in 2013.

Trump granted him a conditional pardon, announced Jan. 20, 2021. The White House said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich “strongly supports” it and cited his combat record, his tutoring of other inmates and his volunteer work with a fire department. Times of San Diego reported that after prison Cunningham denied accepting bribes and said he regretted his plea.

Offense of record

Pleaded guilty to conspiring to take bribes from defense contractors

Ties to Trump

Former Republican member of Congress and retired Navy commander, per AP and Times of San Diego. Supported by Newt Gingrich, per the White House.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $1.8 million. Restitution per the Justice Department. As part of his plea he agreed to forfeit more than $1.8 million in cash and property, per Times of San Diego.

Who pushed for it

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, per the White House.

Response

The White House cited his military service and said he 'tutored other inmates to help them achieve their GED.' After prison Cunningham 'denied accepting bribes and said he regretted his plea,' per Times of San Diego.

Note: This was a conditional pardon; the conditions were not described in the sources found.

Robert Cannon Hayes

Former North Carolina congressman and state Republican Party chairman

Robin Hayes, a former Republican congressman and chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, pleaded guilty in 2019 to lying to the FBI in connection with a plot to bribe the state insurance commissioner, the Charlotte Observer reported (via WBTV). He received probation in return for cooperating with prosecutors; two others, including businessman Greg Lindberg, were convicted at trial in 2020.

The White House said Sen. Thom Tillis and several members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation strongly supported clemency, which ABC11 also reported. Hayes had completed his probation when he was pardoned, the Observer reported, and was one of three former Republican congressmen pardoned that day. Lindberg, whom the paper described as one of the state’s biggest political donors and a candidate for a Trump pardon, did not receive one.

Offense of record

Lied to the FBI during a bribery investigation of a state official

Ties to Trump

Former U.S. congressman and North Carolina Republican Party chairman (2016-2019), per ABC11 and the White House.

Money

The DOJ list records a $9,500 fine and probation; no restitution.

Who pushed for it

Sen. Thom Tillis and several members of the North Carolina congressional delegation, per the White House.

Response

At sentencing Hayes told the judge "Your honor, I'm incredibly sorry," the Charlotte Observer reported. The White House cited his record in Congress and party leadership and the support of Sen. Tillis.

Since then

He had completed his probation at the time of the pardon, per the Charlotte Observer. Greg Lindberg, the central figure in the scheme, was not pardoned.

William "Billy" T. Walters

Las Vegas sports bettor and golf-course owner convicted of insider trading

Billy Walters, a prominent Las Vegas sports bettor, was found guilty in 2017 of trading on confidential information from then-Dean Foods chairman Thomas Davis; prosecutors said the trades made more than $40 million in illegal profits, KSNV News 3 reported. He was sentenced to five years and had been moved to home confinement in 2020 because of COVID-19.

The White House said the commutation was backed by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, former Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons and others, and listed golfer Phil Mickelson as a supporter; Mickelson’s lawyer called that listing erroneous, KSNV reported. NBC News noted a New York Times report that the clemency was brokered by John Dowd, Trump’s former personal lawyer, whom Walters hired. Walters said he would keep pursuing a lawsuit against the federal officials who won his conviction, the AP reported.

Offense of record

Traded stocks on secret tips from a company chairman

Ties to Trump

NBC News, citing The New York Times, reported that the clemency was brokered by John Dowd, Trump's former personal lawyer, who was hired by Walters.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $8.9 million. DOJ records a $10 million fine and $8.89 million restitution; the White House said he had paid $44 million in fines, forfeitures and restitution. Dowd's fee was not reported in our sources.

Who pushed for it

Harry Reid, Jim Gibbons, Shelley Berkley, former Clark County Sheriff William Young, Bernie Kerik, several pro golfers and Lara Logan, per the White House; Phil Mickelson's lawyer said the golfer did not sponsor the request (KSNV). Lawyer John Dowd, per The New York Times as reported by NBC News.

Response

Walters thanked Trump and said he hoped the clemency "sends a strong message to law enforcement to refrain from illegal misconduct in pursuing their targets," KSNV reported. The White House cited time served, payments made and his philanthropy.

Since then

After the January 2021 commutation, Walters said he would continue a civil lawsuit against federal officials in New York over his prosecution (AP via KNPR, 2021-01-21).

Roger Joseph Stone Jr.

Longtime Trump friend and political adviser convicted in the Mueller investigation

Roger Stone, a Trump friend of roughly 40 years and an informal adviser, was convicted in November 2019 of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing a House investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and was sentenced to 40 months, the Associated Press reported. Prosecutors said he hid his communications with Trump campaign officials to protect Trump, CNN reported.

Trump commuted the sentence on July 10, 2020, days before Stone was due to report to prison, then granted a full pardon on Dec. 23, 2020. Stone had publicly appealed for clemency, and allies lobbied for it, CNN reported. Republican Sen. Ben Sasse called the December pardons “rotten to the core,” CNN reported. Since then, Stone has worked as a paid lobbyist: NOTUS reported that Roger Ver paid him $600,000.

Offense of record

Lied to Congress, tampered with a witness and obstructed a House investigation

Ties to Trump

Friend of Trump for about 40 years and informal adviser who was with the 2016 campaign at the start, per CNN and the AP.

Money

The Justice Department record lists a $20,000 fine. NOTUS reported Roger Ver paid Stone $600,000 to lobby on an unrelated tax matter after Stone's pardon.

Who pushed for it

Stone himself, his daughter and friend Michael Caputo (then an administration official), who made the case on Fox News, per CNN.

Response

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called Stone "a victim of the Russia Hoax"; House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff called the commutation "offensive to the rule of law," per the AP. Stone thanked Trump for "his extraordinary act of justice," and Sen. Ben Sasse called the December pardons "rotten to the core," per CNN.

Since then

Stone has advocated for other clemency seekers. NOTUS reported in January 2026 that Roger Ver paid him $600,000 to lobby on the exit-tax provision Ver was accused of violating. A House Judiciary Democrats staff report (August 2026) said Stone "has assisted in at least five pardons" while saying he took no money for pardon advocacy.

Note: The House Judiciary Democrats' figure on pardons Stone assisted is a partisan staff report's claim.

Charles Kushner

New Jersey real estate developer and father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner; now U.S. ambassador to France

Charles Kushner, a real estate developer, pleaded guilty in 2004-05 to tax and false-statement counts, retaliating against a federal witness and lying to the Federal Election Commission, and served about 14 months in prison. CNN reported the witness-retaliation count stemmed from a plot in which he hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, a witness, and sent a tape to his sister. Prosecutor Chris Christie later called it ‘one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes’ he prosecuted.

Trump pardoned him on December 23, 2020. The AP, via the Boston Globe, reported he had donated more than $100,000 to Trump’s campaign. Trump later named him ambassador to France, where the government summoned him in August 2025 over a letter alleging France did too little against antisemitism, PBS reported, and again in February 2026, when he did not appear, PBS reported.

Offense of record

Filed false tax returns, lied to election regulators and retaliated against a witness

Ties to Trump

Father of Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner; the AP reported (via the Boston Globe) that he donated more than $100,000 to Trump's campaign.

Money

Reported political donations: $100,000. 'More than $100,000' to Trump's campaign, per AP reporting carried by the Boston Globe; a donation is not evidence the pardon was granted in exchange.

Who pushed for it

Former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman and the American Conservative Union's Matt Schlapp and David Safavian, per the White House.

Response

The White House said his philanthropy 'overshadows' his conviction. Republican Sen. Ben Sasse called the Dec. 23 pardons 'rotten to the core,' CNN reported, and Christie had called the crime 'one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes' he prosecuted.

Since then

Served as Trump's ambassador to France in the second term. Aug. 2025: France summoned him over a letter to President Macron alleging France did not do enough to combat antisemitism, calling his allegations 'unacceptable.' Feb. 2026: France summoned him over administration comments on a death in Lyon; he did not attend, and France said ministers would not meet him until he responded (PBS/AP).

Daniela Gozes-Wagner

Former mid-level manager at a Houston-area health care company, sentenced to 20 years for Medicare fraud

Daniela Gozes-Wagner was convicted at trial in 2017 of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering and sentenced to 20 years and $15.2 million in restitution. The White House described her as a mid-level manager at a company that improperly received Medicare and Medicaid funds and the only defendant in her case to go to trial; it said her sentence was far heavier than those of co-defendants who played more central roles.

Before the grant, more than 130 former federal judges, U.S. attorneys and law professors asked for clemency, calling the sentence excessive, Law.com reported. Trump commuted both her sentence and the restitution order on December 23, 2020, NBC News reported.

Offense of record

Took part in a Medicare and Medicaid fraud and money-laundering scheme as a company manager

Ties to Trump

Backed by former attorneys general and the Aleph Institute, which argued the sentence was disproportionate, per the White House.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $15.3 million. The White House said Trump commuted the restitution order as well as the prison sentence.

Who pushed for it

Former Attorneys General Michael Mukasey, Ed Meese, Ramsey Clark and John Ashcroft, Acting AGs Peter Keisler and Matt Whitaker, and the Aleph Institute, per the White House; more than 130 former judges, U.S. attorneys and law professors, per Law.com.

Response

Supporters argued she received a disproportionate sentence compared with co-defendants who pleaded guilty. We found no public response from prosecutors.

Note: Limited coverage; the case description rests largely on the White House statement.

Irving Stitsky

Co-founder of a New York real estate investment firm sentenced to 85 years for defrauding investors

Irving Stitsky and Mark Shapiro were convicted in federal court in New York of defrauding more than 250 people in a $23 million real estate scam, and each was sentenced to 85 years, the AP reported via the Boston Globe. Prosecutors said they diverted millions of dollars of investor funds for their own benefit. The White House said the two had hid prior felony convictions and used a straw CEO, and that the firm lost millions for investors in the 2008 financial crisis.

Trump commuted the rest of both men’s sentences on December 23, 2020, NBC News reported. The White House said they had turned down plea offers of 5 to 9 years before trial and cited support from the Aleph Institute, Alice Johnson, former Attorney General Edwin Meese and ‘several of the victims.’

Offense of record

Defrauded real estate investors while hiding past felony convictions

Ties to Trump

Clemency backed by the Aleph Institute, Alice Johnson and several criminal justice advocacy groups, per the White House.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $23.2 million. The White House said the commutation covered 'the remainder of both of their sentences'; it did not address restitution.

Who pushed for it

The Aleph Institute, Alice Johnson, former AG Edwin Meese, former Deputy AG Larry Thompson, former Judge William Bassler, former U.S. Attorneys Brett Tolman and James Reynolds, law professors Bennett Gershman and Harold Krent, and several victims, per the White House.

Response

The White House said the 85-year sentences were roughly 10 times the plea offers and that both men had already served longer than those offers. We found no public response from prosecutors or victims opposed to the grant.

Note: Limited coverage; we found only brief wire and White House accounts of the grant.

James J. Kassouf

Northeast Ohio businessman who pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return

James Kassouf pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return; the Justice Department records a sentence of probation with four months’ home confinement and a $10,000 fine. Trump granted him a full pardon on December 23, 2020, NBC News reported.

The White House said the pardon was supported by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Reps. David Joyce and Darrell Issa, Pastor Darrell Scott and friends in Northeast Ohio, and cited his charitable work and involvement in revitalizing Cleveland. The AP, via the Boston Globe, summarized the White House account.

Offense of record

Filed a false federal tax return

Money

The sentence included a $10,000 fine and restitution under his plea agreement; amounts beyond the fine were not reported.

Who pushed for it

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Reps. David Joyce and Darrell Issa, Pastor Darrell Scott and friends in Northeast Ohio, per the White House.

Response

The White House cited his support for Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, his church and fire department. We found no criticism of this grant.

Note: The White House and news reports say he pleaded guilty in 1989; the Justice Department's clemency list dates his sentence to December 1999. We could not resolve the difference.

Jesse R. Benton

Republican political consultant and former Ron Paul and Rand Paul aide convicted of campaign-finance crimes

Jesse Benton, a top staffer on Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign, was convicted in 2016 with campaign chairman John Tate of causing false records and reports to be filed with the Federal Election Commission. Prosecutors said they hid $73,000 in payments to Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson for his endorsement of Paul, the AP reported via the Boston Globe. He received probation and home confinement.

Trump pardoned Benton and Tate on December 23, 2020; the White House cited Sen. Rand Paul and former FEC Chairman Lee Goodman. In 2016 Benton had been chief strategist for a pro-Trump super PAC, USA Today reported. In November 2022 a jury convicted him of funneling a Russian national’s money into a 2016 Trump campaign contribution, and in February 2023 he was sentenced to 18 months, CNN reported.

Offense of record

Hid campaign payments to a state senator who endorsed Ron Paul

Ties to Trump

Chief strategist in 2016 for Great America PAC, a committee supporting Trump, USA Today reported; pardon backed by Sen. Rand Paul.

Money

The 2012 case involved $73,000 in concealed payments, per AP. In the later case he took $100,000 from a Russian national and passed $25,000 on as a contribution, per USA Today.

Who pushed for it

Sen. Rand Paul and former FEC Chairman Lee Goodman, per the White House.

Response

The White House said Goodman believed 'the reporting law violated was unclear and not well established at the time.' CNN noted the pardon wiped the 2012-era convictions off the books before his second conviction.

Since then

Nov. 2022: convicted by a federal jury in Washington of conspiring to solicit an illegal foreign contribution and related charges, for arranging a Russian national's $100,000 payment for a photo with Trump. Feb. 17, 2023: sentenced to 18 months in prison (CNN; USA Today). The Justice Department said the Trump campaign was not aware of the scheme.

John A. Boultbee

Former chief financial officer of Hollinger International, convicted with media baron Conrad Black

John Boultbee, former chief financial officer of newspaper publisher Hollinger International, was convicted of mail fraud in the case against Conrad Black and served nearly a year in prison. Black had been jailed for defrauding Hollinger shareholders through ‘non-compete’ payments tied to newspaper sales, the Guardian reported.

Trump pardoned Boultbee and former Hollinger vice president Peter Atkinson on December 23, 2020, NBC News reported. The White House said Trump had previously pardoned Black and acted ‘for similar reasons,’ with the support of Black and former prosecutor Ronald Safer. Trump pardoned Black in 2019 shortly after Black published a book praising him, the Guardian reported.

Offense of record

Took part in a mail-fraud scheme at newspaper company Hollinger International

Ties to Trump

Associate of Conrad Black, whom Trump pardoned in 2019 after Black wrote a book praising Trump (Guardian); the White House said Black supported Boultbee's pardon.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $15,000

Who pushed for it

Conrad Black, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Safer and David Nathanson, per the White House.

Response

The White House described the case as 'an alleged fraud scheme involving Lord Conrad Black.' We found no other public response to this grant.

Note: Little coverage of Boultbee's own grant; the Guardian source concerns Conrad Black's 2019 pardon.

John Frederick Tate

Former chairman of Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign convicted over hidden payments to an Iowa state senator

John Tate and fellow Ron Paul campaign staffer Jesse Benton were convicted in 2016 of causing false records and campaign expenditure reports to be filed with the Federal Election Commission. Prosecutors said they and a third official hid $73,000 in payments to Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson for his endorsement of Paul by routing them through a campaign vendor; the defendants argued they broke no laws, the AP reported via the Boston Globe. Each received probation with six months’ home confinement.

Trump pardoned both men on December 23, 2020, NBC News reported. The White House said the grant was supported by Sen. Rand Paul and former FEC Chairman Lee Goodman, who argued the reporting law was unclear at the time.

Offense of record

Hid campaign payments to a state senator who endorsed Ron Paul

Money

The case involved $73,000 in concealed payments, per AP.

Who pushed for it

Sen. Rand Paul and former FEC Chairman Lee Goodman, per the White House.

Response

The White House said Goodman believed the reporting law 'was unclear and not well established at the time.' The defendants argued they broke no laws, the AP reported.

Joseph Occhipinti

Former Immigration and Naturalization Service supervisory agent convicted of civil rights violations in New York

Joseph Occhipinti, a supervisory agent with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, was convicted in 1991 of conspiracy to violate civil rights under color of law and making false statements. Authorities charged that he illegally detained and searched Hispanic store owners in New York City and then made false statements to cover it up, the AP reported via the Boston Globe. President George H.W. Bush commuted his 37-month sentence after about seven months.

Trump granted him a full pardon on December 23, 2020, NBC News reported. The White House cited support from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Association of Police Organizations and Rep. Christopher Smith, and said he had earned 76 commendations in a 22-year career.

Offense of record

Convicted of violating store owners' civil rights during searches as a federal agent

Ties to Trump

Former federal immigration agent; backed by law enforcement groups, per the White House.

Who pushed for it

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Association of Police Organizations and Rep. Christopher Smith, per the White House.

Response

The White House highlighted his 'highly decorated career.' We found no public criticism of this grant.

Margaret E. Hunter

Wife and former campaign manager of ex-Rep. Duncan Hunter, convicted of misusing campaign funds

Margaret Hunter, who managed the campaigns of her husband, former California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiring to misuse campaign funds for personal expenses and agreed to testify against him. In August 2020 she was sentenced to eight months of home confinement and three years’ probation; a prosecutor called her cooperation ‘extraordinary,’ the AP reported via PBS NewsHour.

Trump pardoned her on December 23, 2020, a day after pardoning her husband, NBC News reported. The White House cited former FEC Commissioner Bradley Smith’s view that the conduct should have been treated as a civil matter. Her husband was among the first Republicans in Congress to back Trump, NBC reported.

Offense of record

Spent campaign money on personal expenses with her congressman husband

Ties to Trump

Wife of former Rep. Duncan Hunter, who NBC News reported was among the first Republicans to back Trump for president; Trump pardoned him the day before.

Money

She pleaded guilty to misspending more than $150,000 in campaign funds along with her husband, per AP.

Who pushed for it

Former FEC Commissioner Bradley Smith's view was cited by the White House.

Response

At her 2020 sentencing she told the judge 'I'm deeply sorry,' and prosecutor Mark Conover said her cooperation was critical to her husband's conviction (PBS/AP). The White House said the case should have been handled civilly by the FEC.

Mark Shapiro

Co-founder of a New York real estate investment firm sentenced to 85 years for defrauding investors

Mark Shapiro and Irving Stitsky were convicted in federal court in New York of defrauding more than 250 people in a $23 million real estate scam, and each was sentenced to 85 years, the AP reported via the Boston Globe. Prosecutors said they diverted millions of dollars of investor funds for their own benefit. The White House said the two had hid prior felony convictions and used a straw CEO, and that the firm lost millions for investors in the 2008 financial crisis.

Trump commuted the rest of both men’s sentences on December 23, 2020, NBC News reported. The White House said they had turned down plea offers of 5 to 9 years before trial and cited support from the Aleph Institute, Alice Johnson, former Attorney General Edwin Meese and ‘several of the victims.’

Offense of record

Defrauded real estate investors while hiding past felony convictions

Ties to Trump

Clemency backed by the Aleph Institute, Alice Johnson and several criminal justice advocacy groups, per the White House.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $22.1 million. The White House said the commutation covered 'the remainder of both of their sentences'; it did not address restitution.

Who pushed for it

The Aleph Institute, Alice Johnson, former AG Edwin Meese, former Deputy AG Larry Thompson, former Judge William Bassler, former U.S. Attorneys Brett Tolman and James Reynolds, law professors Bennett Gershman and Harold Krent, and several victims, per the White House.

Response

The White House said the 85-year sentences were roughly 10 times the plea offers and that both men had already served longer than those offers. We found no public response from prosecutors or victims opposed to the grant.

Note: Limited coverage; we found only brief wire and White House accounts of the grant.

Mark Siljander

Former Republican congressman from Michigan who later lobbied for an Islamic charity

Mark Siljander represented southwest Michigan in the U.S. House from 1981 to 1987. As Michigan Public and the AP reported, it was his early-2000s work as a lobbyist for a Muslim charity that led to prison: prosecutors said he had been hired to get the charity removed from a list of groups suspected of financing terrorism. The AP, via The Boston Globe, reported the charity closed in 2004 after the U.S. designated it a global terrorist organization. Siljander pleaded guilty in 2010 to obstruction of justice and acting as an unregistered foreign agent, and served a year in prison.

The White House said the pardon was supported by former Attorney General Edwin Meese, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and praised his record as an opponent of abortion and his peace work since prison. He was pardoned on Dec. 23, 2020, alongside Paul Manafort and Charles Kushner.

Offense of record

Obstructed an investigation and lobbied for a foreign-linked charity without registering

Ties to Trump

Former Republican member of Congress (1981-1987), per Michigan Public/AP. No donation or lobbying link to Trump found.

Who pushed for it

Former Attorney General Edwin Meese, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Rep. Robert Aderholt and Pastor Andrew Brunson, per the White House.

Response

The White House cited his time in Congress, where it called him 'one of Congress' most stalwart defenders of pro-life principles,' and his travel in the Middle East and Africa 'to promote peace and mutual understanding.' AP noted the pardon came in a wave of clemency benefiting Trump associates and allies. No public statement from prosecutors found.

Paul J. Manafort

Trump's 2016 campaign chairman, convicted of tax, bank-fraud and conspiracy crimes in the Mueller investigation

Paul Manafort led Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign during a pivotal period before being ousted over his ties to Ukraine. He was among the first people charged by special counsel Robert Mueller and was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for financial crimes related to his work in Ukraine, the AP reported. A jury in Virginia convicted him of tax and bank fraud charges in 2018, and he pleaded guilty in Washington to conspiracy and witness-tampering conspiracy.

Trump pardoned him on Dec. 23, 2020. The White House called him one of the most prominent victims of a ‘witch hunt.’ CNN noted that Mueller had examined whether Trump obstructed justice by ‘dangling pardons’ to Manafort and others, and quoted Republican Sen. Ben Sasse calling the pardons ‘rotten to the core.’ Manafort had been released to home confinement in May 2020 over coronavirus concerns, the AP reported.

Offense of record

Hid foreign income from the IRS, defrauded banks, and conspired to tamper with witnesses

Ties to Trump

Chairman of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, per AP.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $31.7 million. Sum of restitution ordered in the two cases ($25,497,487.60 in Virginia and $6,164,032 in Washington), per the Justice Department clemency list. Whether any was collected is not addressed here.

Who pushed for it

No outside advocates were named; the White House statement described the case as a product of the 'Russian collusion hoax.'

Response

The White House said Manafort 'has endured years of unfair treatment' and had led an 'otherwise blameless life,' quoting his trial judge. Manafort thanked Trump on Twitter, per AP. Sen. Ben Sasse called the pardons 'rotten to the core,' and Andrew Weissmann, the chief prosecutor in Manafort's case, wrote that they were 'what you would expect to get if you gave the pardon power to a mob boss,' per CNN.

Since then

At the time of the pardon, New York prosecutors were appealing a state judge's dismissal of separate mortgage-fraud charges against him, per AP (December 2020).

Peter Y. Atkinson

Former Hollinger International executive convicted with media mogul Conrad Black

Peter Atkinson was a vice president of Hollinger International, the newspaper company run by Conrad Black. He and former chief financial officer John Boultbee were found guilty of three counts of mail fraud and each served a year in prison, the AP reported.

Trump had pardoned Black in 2019. The AP reported at the time that Black had praised Trump in columns and a political biography, and that Trump once told him, “I won’t forget!” On Dec. 23, 2020, Trump pardoned Atkinson and Boultbee together. The White House said it did so “for similar reasons” as Black’s pardon, with the support of Black himself, former federal prosecutor Ronald Safer and David Nathanson. The White House statement did not describe the underlying scheme beyond calling it an “alleged fraud scheme.” No further coverage of Atkinson’s case was found.

Offense of record

Mail fraud as a newspaper company executive

Ties to Trump

Co-defendant of Conrad Black, whom Trump pardoned in 2019 and who had written a flattering political biography of Trump, per AP. Black supported Atkinson's pardon, per the White House. No direct tie between Atkinson and Trump found.

Money

The sentence included a $3,000 fine, per the Justice Department.

Who pushed for it

Conrad Black, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Safer and David Nathanson, per the White House.

Response

The White House said both men 'served nearly a year in prison for mail fraud' and were pardoned 'for similar reasons' as Black. No public statement from Atkinson or prosecutors found.

Note: Coverage of Atkinson himself is limited to brief mentions in pardon roundups.

Robert Edward Coughlin II

Former Justice Department official convicted in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal

Robert Coughlin was a Justice Department official who later became deputy chief of staff of its Criminal Division, the same division handling the Jack Abramoff investigation. In 2008 he pleaded guilty to a single conflict-of-interest charge, admitting he accepted meals, concert tickets and luxury seats at sporting events from a lobbyist while helping that lobbyist’s clients, the AP reported. In 2009 a federal judge spared him prison, sentencing him to a month in a halfway house, three years of probation and a $2,000 fine, the AP reported.

The White House said his Dec. 23, 2020, pardon was supported by former interim U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor and Adam Ciongoli, a former counselor to Attorney General John Ashcroft. It said Coughlin was remorseful, had volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Toys for Tots, and had recently been reinstated to the D.C. Bar.

Offense of record

Took gifts from a lobbyist while helping the lobbyist's clients at the Justice Department

Money

The sentence included a $2,000 fine, per the Justice Department.

Who pushed for it

Former interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeffrey Taylor and former Ashcroft counselor Adam Ciongoli, per the White House.

Response

The White House said Coughlin 'is remorseful' and 'wishes to put his mistakes behind him.' At sentencing in 2009, Judge Ellen Huvelle said 'This entire Abramoff-related matter raises a lot of questions,' per AP. No public reaction from prosecutors to the pardon found.

Stephanie Christine Mohr

Former Prince George's County, Maryland, police K-9 officer convicted in a 1995 dog-bite case

Stephanie Mohr was a Prince George’s County police officer. In 1995 she released her police dog on Ricardo Mendez, a homeless man who had been sleeping on a roof and was not resisting arrest, DCist reported. She was convicted in 2001 of violating his civil rights and served 10 years; her training officer was acquitted, USA Today reported. The case came out of a federal investigation into the department that led to broad reforms.

Mohr, who has maintained her innocence, appeared on Newsmax to seek a pardon. The White House said the Fraternal Order of Police and the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund supported her clemency. Alex Busansky, a former Justice Department lawyer who helped prosecute her, called it “the most insensitive and inflaming” of Trump’s pardons in a year that saw the killing of George Floyd, USA Today reported.

Offense of record

As a police officer, set her dog on a surrendering man, violating his civil rights

Ties to Trump

Former police officer; her clemency was backed by the Fraternal Order of Police and the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, per the White House.

Who pushed for it

The Fraternal Order of Police and the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, per the White House; her pardon attorney was former U.S. Pardon Attorney Margaret Love, per USA Today.

Response

Mohr told USA Today: 'So many emotions flooding through me. It's been a long, long, long battle for this.' She said her actions did not amount to police brutality. Former prosecutor Alex Busansky wrote that it was 'a willful and deliberate act of police brutality,' per USA Today. A private investigator who documented canine-unit cases told DCist Mohr was not 'wrongly picked out.'

Since then

Released from prison in 2011, Mohr works as a construction inspector in St. Mary's County, Maryland, per USA Today (December 2020).

William Plemons

Georgia businessman convicted of structuring, tax evasion and wire fraud

William J. Plemons Jr. was convicted in three federal cases in the Northern District of Georgia between 1998 and 2002: structuring cash transactions to avoid reporting requirements, attempting to evade personal income tax, and wire fraud, according to the Justice Department clemency list. The AP, via The Boston Globe, reported that he served 27 months in federal prison.

Trump pardoned him on Dec. 23, 2020. The White House said the pardon was supported by Richard Greene, a former Georgia state senator, and by business associates who described his charity work, including with the Boy Scouts and a childhood-cancer charity. It said he served in the Air Force, “has taken responsibility for his conduct” and paid $400,000 in restitution. Beyond pardon-day roundups, no news coverage of his case or of who sought the pardon was found.

Offense of record

Structured cash deposits, evaded income taxes and committed wire fraud

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $1.1 million. The court ordered $1.1 million in restitution in the wire fraud case, per the Justice Department; the White House said he had paid $400,000.

Who pushed for it

Former Georgia State Senator Richard Greene and business associates, per the White House.

Response

The White House said Plemons 'has taken responsibility for his conduct.' No statements from prosecutors or Plemons found.

Note: Little public coverage; the profile rests mainly on the White House statement and the Justice Department clemency list.

Alex Van Der Zwaan

Dutch lawyer who lied to Mueller investigators about work tied to Paul Manafort

Alex van der Zwaan, a Dutch lawyer, pleaded guilty to lying to investigators in special counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry and was sentenced to 30 days in prison, the Associated Press reported. He was part of Mueller’s investigation into illegal foreign lobbying and the Ukrainian and Russian connections of Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and prosecutors said he gave no meaningful cooperation, CNN reported. He served almost a month and was deported to Europe in June 2018.

Trump pardoned him on Dec. 22, 2020. At sentencing, Judge Amy Berman Jackson had said, “This is not something that happened to him. This is something he did,” CNN reported. Rep. Adam Schiff said that day’s pardons were meant in part “to protect those who lie to cover up” for Trump, the AP reported.

Offense of record

Lied to federal investigators in the Mueller Russia investigation

Ties to Trump

His case was part of Mueller's investigation of Paul Manafort; CNN reported he is the son-in-law of Ukrainian-Russian billionaire German Khan.

Money

The Justice Department record lists a $20,000 fine.

Response

Judge Amy Berman Jackson said at sentencing he "put his personal interest ahead of the interest of justice," per CNN. Rep. Adam Schiff said the day's pardons were meant "to undermine an investigation that uncovered massive wrongdoing," per the AP.

Christopher Carl Collins

Former New York congressman, the first member of Congress to endorse Trump, convicted of insider trading

Chris Collins, a Republican congressman from western New York, sat on the board of an Australian biotech company. Prosecutors said that while at the White House congressional picnic in 2017 he learned a drug trial had failed and tipped off his son, who sold shares, then lied to the FBI, CNN reported. Collins pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 26 months; he was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump for president, the Associated Press reported.

At sentencing he said, “I stand here today as a disgraced former member of Congress,” the AP reported. Trump pardoned him on Dec. 22, 2020, while he was serving his sentence. The White House said the pardon came at “the request of many members of Congress.” NBC News noted he and Duncan Hunter were among the first Republicans to back Trump.

Offense of record

Tipped off his son about a failed drug trial, then lied to the FBI

Ties to Trump

The first member of Congress to endorse Trump for president, per the AP.

Money

The Justice Department record lists a $200,000 fine. CNN reported prosecutors said the trades let his son avoid more than $750,000 in losses; the AP put it at $800,000 for his son and others.

Who pushed for it

"Many members of Congress," according to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, per the AP.

Response

Rep. Adam Schiff said the day's pardons rewarded "friends and political allies," per the AP. Prosecutors had sought nearly five years in prison, per the AP.

Duncan D. Hunter

Former California congressman and Marine veteran who misused campaign funds

Duncan Hunter, a Republican congressman from the San Diego area and a Marine veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to misuse campaign funds and was sentenced to 11 months in prison. Prosecutors charged that he spent more than $200,000 of campaign money on personal expenses, including a $14,000 Italian vacation and household items, CNN reported. Prosecutors also said he had told voters he was the victim of a political “witch hunt,” the Associated Press reported.

Trump pardoned him on Dec. 22, 2020, before he reported to prison. The White House said the pardon followed “the request of many members of Congress” and cited his combat service, the AP reported. He was among the first Republicans to back Trump, NBC News reported. Trump pardoned his wife, Margaret, the next day.

Offense of record

Spent campaign donations on personal expenses

Ties to Trump

Among the first Republicans to back Trump for president, per NBC News; a Marine veteran, per the AP.

Money

Prosecutors said he misused more than $200,000 in campaign funds, per CNN; the indictment alleged more than $250,000 against him and his wife, per the AP.

Who pushed for it

"Many members of Congress," according to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, per the AP.

Response

Prosecutors had said "Hunter lied to the people about his guilt. Not once, but countless times," per the AP. Rep. Adam Schiff said the day's pardons rewarded "friends and political allies," per the AP.

Since then

Trump pardoned his wife, Margaret Hunter, who had pleaded guilty in the same case, on Dec. 23, 2020, per NBC News.

Dustin Laurent Heard

Former Blackwater security guard convicted over the 2007 Nisour Square shooting in Baghdad

Dustin Heard was one of four Blackwater Worldwide guards convicted by a federal jury in 2014 over the 2007 shooting at Baghdad’s Nisour Square, in which 14 Iraqi civilians were killed and 17 wounded, NPR reported. Prosecutors said the guards fired on innocent civilians; the guards said their convoy came under attack, CNN reported. Heard’s conviction was for voluntary manslaughter, attempted manslaughter and a firearms count, according to the Justice Department record.

Trump pardoned all four guards on Dec. 22, 2020. Supporters had argued they were excessively punished in a flawed prosecution, the Associated Press reported, and the White House said members of Congress and Fox News host Pete Hegseth backed the pardons, CNN reported. The U.N. human rights office said pardoning them “contributes to impunity,” and an Iraqi survivor told NPR he was shocked.

Offense of record

Manslaughter in the killing of Iraqi civilians at Nisour Square

Ties to Trump

Blackwater was founded by Erik Prince, brother of Trump's education secretary Betsy DeVos, per CNN. Fox News host Pete Hegseth supported the pardons, per the White House as reported by CNN.

Who pushed for it

Members of Congress and Fox News host Pete Hegseth, per the White House as reported by CNN; supporters who argued the prosecution was tainted, per the AP.

Response

The U.N. human rights office said the pardons have "the effect of emboldening others to commit such crimes"; survivor Hassan Salman told NPR, "I'm really shocked." A lawyer for co-defendant Paul Slough told the AP the men "didn't deserve to spend one minute in prison," per NPR.

Note: Coverage treats the four guards together; we found little reporting specific to this individual.

Evan Shawn Liberty

Former Blackwater security guard convicted over the 2007 Nisour Square shooting in Baghdad

Evan Liberty was one of four Blackwater Worldwide guards convicted by a federal jury in 2014 over the 2007 shooting at Baghdad’s Nisour Square, in which 14 Iraqi civilians were killed and 17 wounded, NPR reported. Prosecutors said the guards fired on innocent civilians; the guards said their convoy came under attack, CNN reported. Liberty’s conviction was for voluntary manslaughter, attempted manslaughter and a firearms count, according to the Justice Department record.

Trump pardoned all four guards on Dec. 22, 2020. Supporters had argued they were excessively punished in a flawed prosecution, the Associated Press reported, and the White House said members of Congress and Fox News host Pete Hegseth backed the pardons, CNN reported. The U.N. human rights office said pardoning them “contributes to impunity,” and an Iraqi survivor told NPR he was shocked.

Offense of record

Manslaughter in the killing of Iraqi civilians at Nisour Square

Ties to Trump

Blackwater was founded by Erik Prince, brother of Trump's education secretary Betsy DeVos, per CNN. Fox News host Pete Hegseth supported the pardons, per the White House as reported by CNN.

Who pushed for it

Members of Congress and Fox News host Pete Hegseth, per the White House as reported by CNN; supporters who argued the prosecution was tainted, per the AP.

Response

The U.N. human rights office said the pardons have "the effect of emboldening others to commit such crimes"; survivor Hassan Salman told NPR, "I'm really shocked." Liberty's lawyer, Bill Coffield, told the AP: "These are four innocent guys, and it is completely justified," per NPR.

Note: Coverage treats the four guards together; we found little reporting specific to this individual.

George Papadopoulos

2016 Trump campaign foreign policy adviser who lied to the FBI about Russia-linked contacts

George Papadopoulos was a foreign policy adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign whose conversations helped trigger the FBI’s Russia investigation, the Associated Press reported. He pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his contacts with people connected to Russia, including talk of “dirt” on Hillary Clinton and a possible Trump meeting with Vladimir Putin, CNN reported. He served less than two weeks in prison in 2018 and later ran unsuccessfully for Congress in California.

Trump pardoned him on Dec. 22, 2020. At sentencing his lawyer argued that Trump “hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could,” and after the pardon Papadopoulos thanked Trump and repeated his view that there was a “Russia hoax,” CNN reported.

Offense of record

Lied to the FBI about his contacts with Russia-connected people

Ties to Trump

Foreign policy adviser to Trump's 2016 campaign, per the AP.

Money

The Justice Department record lists the fine as "$9,5000" (apparently a typo).

Response

Papadopoulos thanked Trump and repeated his belief there was a "Russia hoax," per CNN. Rep. Adam Schiff said the day's pardons were meant "to protect those who lie to cover up" for Trump, per the AP.

Since then

Before the pardon he ran for Congress in California's 25th District and lost in the March 2020 primary, per CNN.

Ignacio Ramos

Former U.S. Border Patrol agent convicted in a 2005 shooting near El Paso

Ignacio Ramos and fellow Border Patrol agent Jose Compean were convicted in 2006 of shooting and wounding a fleeing Mexican man, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, near El Paso in 2005 and of covering it up, CNN reported. The agents said he had brandished a gun; he said he was unarmed and trying to surrender. Ramos received an 11-year sentence, later commuted by President George W. Bush, CNN reported. Aldrete-Davila, who testified under immunity, was later arrested on drug-smuggling charges, and the Associated Press described him as a drug smuggler.

Trump pardoned both agents on Dec. 22, 2020. CNN reported the case had become a political flashpoint, with advocates of tighter border controls defending the agents and civil liberties groups saying they used excessive force.

Offense of record

Shot and wounded a fleeing unarmed man, then covered it up

Ties to Trump

Former U.S. Border Patrol agent.

Money

The Justice Department record lists a $2,000 fine.

Who pushed for it

Advocates of tighter border controls had long defended the agents, per CNN.

Response

CNN reported the case divided advocates of tighter border enforcement, who defended the agents, and civil liberties groups, who said the agents used illegal and excessive force.

Note: CNN dates the shooting to Feb. 17, 2005, and the conviction to 2006.

Jose Alonso Compean

Former U.S. Border Patrol agent convicted in a 2005 shooting of a fleeing drug-smuggling suspect near El Paso

Jose Compean and fellow Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos were convicted in 2006 over a February 2005 shooting near El Paso, Texas, in which Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila was wounded while fleeing toward the Rio Grande. CNN reported the agents said he brandished a gun, while he said he was unarmed and trying to surrender; they were convicted of assault, lying about the incident and violating his Fourth Amendment rights. Compean received a 12-year sentence, which President George W. Bush commuted.

Trump pardoned both men on December 22, 2020. The White House said one hundred members of Congress, including Reps. Louie Gohmert and Paul Gosar, had backed them. CNN said the case had become a political flashpoint between advocates of tighter border controls and civil liberties groups. CNBC noted Bush had commuted the agents’ prison terms in 2009.

Offense of record

Assault and civil rights violations over the shooting of a fleeing suspect

Ties to Trump

Former U.S. Border Patrol agent; the White House said about 100 members of Congress supported clemency.

Who pushed for it

The White House said one hundred members of Congress, including Reps. Louie Gohmert, Steve King, Ted Poe, Paul Gosar and Brian Babin, plus the U.S. Border Control Foundation and the Conservative Legal Defense and Education Fund, supported the pardon.

Response

The White House described the agents as having put themselves in harm's way and said the suspect was 'thought to be armed.' CNN reported the case had become a political flashpoint, with border-control advocates defending the agents and civil liberties groups saying they used illegal and excessive force.

Nicholas Abram Slatten

Former Blackwater security contractor serving life for murder in the 2007 Nisour Square shooting in Baghdad

Nicholas Slatten was one of four Blackwater guards convicted over the September 2007 shooting at Baghdad’s Nisour Square, which killed 14 Iraqi civilians and wounded 17, NPR reported. Prosecutors said Slatten fired the first shots. An appeals court ordered him tried separately; after a 2018 mistrial, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder and a judge sentenced him to life in 2019, CBC News reported.

Trump pardoned Slatten and his three co-defendants on December 22, 2020. The White House cited their military service and support from Fox News host Pete Hegseth and several Republican members of Congress. The U.N. human rights office said the pardons contribute to impunity, and an Iraqi survivor told NPR he was shocked.

Offense of record

Convicted of murdering an Iraqi civilian while working as a Blackwater guard

Ties to Trump

Army veteran; the White House said Fox News host Pete Hegseth and several Republican members of Congress backed the pardon.

Who pushed for it

Per the White House: Pete Hegseth and Reps. Louie Gohmert, Paul Gosar, Ralph Norman, Bill Flores, Brian Babin, Michael Burgess, Daniel Webster, Steve King and Ted Yoho.

Response

The U.N. human rights office said pardoning the four 'contributes to impunity and has the effect of emboldening others to commit such crimes in the future,' NPR reported, and Human Rights Watch said the pardons 'show contempt for the rule of law.' At his 2019 sentencing Slatten told the judge he was the victim of an 'unjust prosecution,' CBC reported. The White House cited disclosures about the lead Iraqi investigator.

Paul Alvin Slough

Former Blackwater security contractor convicted of manslaughter in the 2007 Nisour Square shooting in Baghdad

Paul Slough, an Army veteran, was one of four Blackwater guards convicted by a federal jury in 2014 over the 2007 shooting in Baghdad’s Nisour Square that killed 14 Iraqi civilians, CNN reported. Witnesses testified the contractors fired without provocation; Blackwater said its convoy came under attack. Slough was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and related counts and, after an appeals court ordered resentencing, was serving 15 years.

Trump pardoned him on December 22, 2020. The White House cited the men’s service and support from Pete Hegseth and Republican lawmakers. Slough’s lawyer told the AP he did not deserve ‘one minute in prison,’ NPR reported, while the U.N. human rights office said it was ‘deeply concerned.’

Offense of record

Convicted of killing and wounding Iraqi civilians while working as a Blackwater guard

Ties to Trump

Army veteran; the White House said Fox News host Pete Hegseth and several Republican members of Congress backed the pardon.

Who pushed for it

Per the White House: Pete Hegseth and Reps. Louie Gohmert, Paul Gosar, Ralph Norman, Bill Flores, Brian Babin, Michael Burgess, Daniel Webster, Steve King and Ted Yoho.

Response

Slough's lawyer Brian Heberlig said he was 'overwhelmed with emotion,' NPR reported. The U.N. human rights office said it was 'deeply concerned' and Human Rights Watch said the pardons 'show contempt for the rule of law.' The White House said the situation 'turned violent' as the convoy tried to set up a blockade.

Philip Esformes

Florida nursing-home operator convicted in what prosecutors called a $1.3 billion Medicare and Medicaid fraud case

Philip Esformes, who ran a network of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, was convicted in 2019 of paying and receiving kickbacks, money laundering, obstruction and other counts, and sentenced to 20 years, the Chicago Tribune reported. Prosecutors had billed the $1.3 billion case as the largest criminal health care fraud case ever brought; the jury deadlocked on the main fraud conspiracy count.

Trump commuted his prison term on December 22, 2020, leaving restitution and supervised release in place. The White House cited support from former Attorneys General Edwin Meese and Michael Mukasey and his challenge over prosecutors’ handling of privileged material. The Supreme Court declined his appeal in 2023, NBC 6 South Florida reported. In 2024 he pleaded guilty to one retried count and was sentenced to time served, then was arrested on domestic-violence-related charges, NBC News reported.

Offense of record

Paid and took kickbacks and laundered money in a Medicare and Medicaid fraud scheme

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $5.5 million. Ordered to pay $5.53 million in restitution and forfeit $38.7 million, which the commutation left intact, per NBC 6 South Florida and the White House.

Who pushed for it

The White House said former Attorneys General Edwin Meese and Michael Mukasey and former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson supported the commutation; Meese, John Ashcroft, Alberto Gonzales and Ken Starr had filed in support of his appeal.

Response

His lawyer Howard Srebnick said the White House's comments showed 'the president was deeply disturbed by the prosecutors' invasion of the attorney-client privilege,' the Chicago Tribune reported. The sentencing judge had called his conduct an 'epic' violation of trust. The 11th Circuit later found the privilege violations did not prejudice him.

Since then

Dec. 2023: the Supreme Court declined his appeal (NBC 6 South Florida). Feb. 2024: pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud on retrial charges and was sentenced to time served. Oct. 2024: arrested in Florida on domestic-violence-related charges and released on bond (NBC News/CNBC); the outcome of that case is not covered in our sources.

Phillip Kay Lyman

Utah Republican and former San Juan County commissioner who led a 2014 ATV protest ride into a closed canyon

Phil Lyman, then a San Juan County commissioner, led about 50 ATV riders in 2014 into Utah’s Recapture Canyon, home to Native American cliff dwellings and closed to motorized traffic, in a protest of federal land management, the Deseret News reported. He was convicted in 2015 of misdemeanor federal off-road-vehicle counts, served 10 days in jail and paid nearly $96,000 in restitution.

Trump pardoned him on December 22, 2020, by which time he was a state legislator. The White House cited support from Sen. Mike Lee and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz and called the case selective prosecution. Lyman said Trump ‘righted a wrong.’ In 2023 he launched a primary challenge to Gov. Spencer Cox, KSL reported, featuring his mugshot in his announcement.

Offense of record

Led an ATV protest ride on federal land closed to off-road vehicles

Ties to Trump

Utah state representative at the time of the pardon (elected after his conviction); supported by Sen. Mike Lee, per the White House.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $95,956. Lyman finished paying the restitution in October 2020, the Deseret News reported.

Who pushed for it

Sen. Mike Lee, former Rep. Jason Chaffetz and 'other notable members of the Utah community,' per the White House.

Response

Lyman wrote: 'I am deeply grateful to President Donald Trump. Today he righted a wrong,' the Deseret News reported. Sen. Mike Lee called the prosecution 'an abuse of prosecutorial discretion by the Obama Justice Department.'

Since then

Oct. 30, 2023: announced a 2024 Republican primary challenge to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, calling his arrest a 'trumped-up charge,' KSL reported.

Note: Some outlets describe the conviction as trespassing; the Justice Department records it as conspiracy to operate, and operating, off-road vehicles on closed public land.

Stephen E. Stockman

Former Republican congressman from Texas convicted of defrauding conservative donors of charitable money

Steve Stockman, who served two nonconsecutive terms in the U.S. House, was convicted in 2018 of defrauding two conservative mega-donors and funneling $1.25 million into personal and campaign expenses, in what prosecutors called a ‘white collar crime spree,’ the Texas Tribune reported. He was sentenced to 10 years.

Trump commuted his remaining prison term on December 22, 2020, after he had served about two years. The White House cited his age, health and a COVID infection in prison, and said former Reps. Bob McEwen and Bob Barr, James Dobson and L. Brent Bozell had called for his release. CNN reported the batch came at the recommendation of Trump allies in Congress and, in some cases, conservative media. He remained subject to more than $1 million in restitution.

Offense of record

Took donations meant for charitable purposes and spent them on personal and campaign costs

Ties to Trump

Former Republican U.S. representative from Texas; CNN reported the Dec. 22 grants came at the recommendation of Trump allies in Congress and conservative media.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $1 million. The White House said he remained subject to an order to pay more than $1,000,000 in restitution.

Who pushed for it

Former Reps. Bob McEwen and Bob Barr, James Dobson and L. Brent Bozell, per the White House.

Response

The White House cited humanitarian and compassionate grounds, noting he had contracted COVID in prison. After his conviction, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick said 'corrupt officials like former congressman Stockman make it harder for the honest ones to do their jobs,' the Texas Tribune reported; his lawyer said the verdict was not 'the right result.'

Note: A 'Steve Stockman' ran in a 2026 Texas congressional primary per local reporting, but we could not confirm it is the same person, so it is not included.

Michael T. Flynn

Retired Army general and Trump's first national security adviser, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI

Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was Trump’s first national security adviser. He pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Russia’s ambassador about sanctions, and was ousted in February 2017, the Associated Press reported. In 2020 the Justice Department moved to drop the case; the judge had not ruled when Trump pardoned Flynn on Nov. 25, 2020.

CNN reported the pardon covered the FBI’s Russia inquiry, his cooperation with the Mueller investigation and his disclosures about secretly lobbying for Turkey in 2016. Mueller had examined whether Trump obstructed justice by “dangling pardons” to Flynn, Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, CNN reported. Flynn’s lawyer, Sidney Powell, had told the judge she had discussed the case with Trump, the AP reported.

Offense of record

Lied to the FBI about his contacts with Russia's ambassador

Ties to Trump

Trump's first national security adviser and a retired Army lieutenant general, per the AP.

Who pushed for it

Supporters who took up his case as a cause, per the AP; his lawyer Sidney Powell said she had discussed the case with Trump but did not want a pardon.

Response

Trump tweeted: "It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon," per the AP. CNN reported Mueller's team had examined whether Trump dangled pardons to Flynn and others.

Note: We did not research developments after 2020 for this profile; none are included.

Alice Marie Johnson

First-time drug offender freed from a life sentence; later Trump's White House "pardon czar"

Alice Marie Johnson was serving a life sentence for cocaine conspiracy and money-laundering offenses from the 1990s, a first-time, nonviolent offender, when Trump commuted her sentence in June 2018. The commutation came one week after reality-TV star Kim Kardashian West met Trump in the Oval Office to press her case, Business Insider reported. She had served about 21 years, CNN later reported.

Johnson became a criminal justice reform advocate. She spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention praising Trump and the First Step Act, and Trump granted her a full pardon the next day, August 28, 2020, CNN reported. In February 2025, Trump appointed her as his White House “pardon czar,” NPR reported.

Offense of record

Took part in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy and related money laundering

Ties to Trump

Johnson's case was championed by Kim Kardashian West (Business Insider). She spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention the night before her full pardon (CNN), and in February 2025 Trump appointed her White House "pardon czar" (NPR).

Who pushed for it

Kim Kardashian West, who met Trump about the case one week before the commutation (Business Insider).

Response

Johnson told CNN she had "no idea" the pardon was coming and said she did not see Trump as racist based on her own dealings with him. Asked whether she endorsed Trump, she said she wanted to keep working with him on criminal justice reform (CNN).

Since then

Pardoned outright Aug. 28, 2020 (CNN). Appointed White House "pardon czar" in February 2025, which the White House describes as part of its pardon review process (NPR; CBS News).

Jon Donyae Ponder

Las Vegas bank robber turned founder of the re-entry nonprofit Hope for Prisoners

Jon Ponder was convicted in federal court in Nevada of bank robbery and six counts of armed robbery affecting commerce, with a 2005 sentence of 63 months in prison, according to the Justice Department clemency record. After his release he founded Hope for Prisoners, a Las Vegas nonprofit that helps people leaving prison, and serves as its CEO, CNN reported.

Trump spoke at a Hope for Prisoners graduation in Las Vegas in February 2020 and granted Ponder a full pardon on Aug. 25, 2020. A video of Trump pardoning Ponder ran during the second night of the Republican National Convention, CNN reported.

Offense of record

Bank robbery and armed robberies

Ties to Trump

The pardon was featured in a video shown at the 2020 Republican National Convention, per CNN.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $6,165. Restitution figure is from the Justice Department clemency record.

Response

We did not find statements from Ponder, the White House or critics in sources we could retrieve; CNN reported the pardon was shown in a video during the Republican National Convention.

Note: Coverage we could retrieve was limited to CNN's clemency roundup; other outlets' reports on the convention video were paywalled or unavailable.

Susan B. Anthony

19th-century women's suffrage leader, pardoned posthumously for voting in 1872

Susan B. Anthony, a leader of the women’s suffrage movement and an anti-slavery activist, was arrested for voting in Rochester, New York, in the 1872 election, when only men could vote, and was convicted in a widely publicized trial, the Associated Press reported. She refused to pay her fine, and authorities took no further action.

Trump pardoned her posthumously on Aug. 18, 2020, the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guarantees women the right to vote, CNN reported. The AP noted the pardon came as Trump’s support among suburban women in battleground states had been eroding, and amid a dispute over Postal Service disruptions ahead of an election with heavy mail-in voting.

Offense of record

Voted in the 1872 election when women were barred from voting

Money

The Justice Department record lists a $100 fine and costs, which the AP reported she refused to pay.

Response

Trump said he would sign "a full and complete pardon" on the anniversary, per the AP.

Note: Posthumous pardon.

Ariel Manuel Friedler

Former CEO of technology company Symplicity

Ariel Friedler was CEO of the technology company Symplicity. In 2014 he admitted conspiring to hack into competitors’ computer systems, CNBC reported, pleading guilty to conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization. He served two months in prison and was ordered to pay a fine and restitution.

Trump pardoned him on February 18, 2020, in a batch of clemency grants that included former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Bernard Kerik and Michael Milken, PBS reported. According to the White House, the clemency was supported by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a top Trump ally, CNN reported.

Offense of record

Conspired to break into rival companies' computer systems

Ties to Trump

No direct tie to Trump reported. The White House said his clemency was supported by Chris Christie, a top Trump ally (CNN).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $274,198. The DOJ record lists $274,197.60 restitution and a $250,000 fine as conditions of supervised release.

Who pushed for it

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, per the White House (CNN).

Response

The White House said Friedler had "expressed deep remorse" and since his release had volunteered on veterans' issues and prisoner reentry (as quoted by The Register).

Bernard Bailey Kerik

New York City police commissioner on 9/11 and longtime Rudy Giuliani associate

Bernard Kerik led the New York Police Department under Mayor Rudy Giuliani during the Sept. 11 attacks and was later nominated to head the Department of Homeland Security. He pleaded guilty to federal tax fraud and to making false statements, including lying to the government while being vetted for the Homeland Security post, NPR reported. He was released from federal prison in 2013, CNBC reported.

Trump pardoned him on Feb. 18, 2020. NPR reported that Kerik’s backers included Giuliani, then Trump’s personal lawyer, and Fox News personalities Andrew Napolitano and Geraldo Rivera. After the 2020 election, Kerik worked alongside Giuliani looking for evidence of voter fraud, and the House Jan. 6 committee later subpoenaed him, CNN reported. Kerik died in May 2025 at 69, the Associated Press reported.

Offense of record

Tax fraud and lying to federal officials, including during White House vetting

Ties to Trump

A longtime associate of Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer, who backed the pardon, per NPR; after the pardon Kerik worked with Giuliani on post-election fraud claims, per CNN.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $187,931. Restitution figure is from the Justice Department clemency record.

Who pushed for it

Rudy Giuliani and Fox News personalities Andrew Napolitano and Geraldo Rivera, per NPR. His lawyer Timothy Parlatore told CNBC he had been "fighting for" the pardon for several years.

Response

Kerik posted that "today is one of the greatest days in my life — being made a full and whole American citizen again," CNBC reported. Trump said he relies heavily on recommendations from others in clemency decisions, NPR reported.

Since then

After the 2020 election Kerik worked with Giuliani on voter-fraud claims and paid for Washington hotel rooms the House Jan. 6 committee called "election-related command centers"; the committee subpoenaed him in November 2021, and his lawyer said he would comply, per CNN. He died on May 29, 2025, per the AP.

David Hossein Safavian

Former Bush administration procurement official convicted in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal

David Safavian was chief of staff at the General Services Administration and later head of federal procurement policy in the George W. Bush administration. He served prison time for lying about his dealings with lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who had sought his help on GSA properties, including the Washington Old Post Office building that later became the Trump International Hotel, Government Executive reported. After two trials and an appeal, he was convicted in 2008 of obstruction and false-statement counts tied to a 2002 golf trip with Abramoff and was sentenced to one year in prison, CNN reported.

Trump pardoned him on Feb. 18, 2020, as part of a clemency batch that day, the Associated Press reported. The White House cited his post-prison work on criminal justice reform and said the pardon was supported by “several prominent individuals,” according to Government Executive, which also noted he had written an op-ed praising Trump’s First Step Act.

Offense of record

Obstruction and lying about his dealings with lobbyist Jack Abramoff

Who pushed for it

The White House said the pardon was "supported by several prominent individuals" without naming them in the passages we could verify, per Government Executive.

Response

The White House said Safavian was "uniquely positioned to identify problems with the criminal justice system and work to fix them," per Government Executive.

Note: The Justice Department clemency record lists a 72-month sentence dated Oct. 27, 2006 (his first trial); news reports describe a one-year sentence after the 2008 retrial. We have not reconciled the two.

Edward J. DeBartolo Jr.

Former San Francisco 49ers owner who pleaded guilty in a Louisiana gambling-license case

Edward DeBartolo Jr. owned the San Francisco 49ers during their 1980s-1990s run of Super Bowl wins. In 1998 he pleaded guilty to failing to report a felony after paying $400,000 to former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards in connection with a riverboat casino license, the Associated Press reported. The case helped send Edwards to federal prison, CNN reported. DeBartolo avoided prison, was suspended by the NFL and handed control of the team to his sister, according to the AP.

Trump pardoned him on Feb. 18, 2020. Ohio pastor Darrell Scott, a longtime Trump ally, said he had submitted the request more than a year earlier with character references from “NFL greats,” the AP reported. Former players Jerry Rice and Charles Haley praised the decision.

Offense of record

Failed to report a felony in a bribery case over a casino license

Ties to Trump

The pardon request was submitted by pastor Darrell Scott, described by the AP as an early supporter and longtime ally of Trump.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $350,000. Restitution figure is from the Justice Department clemency record, which also lists a $250,000 fine.

Who pushed for it

Pastor Darrell Scott submitted the clemency package, backed by character references from former NFL players, per the AP.

Response

Hall of Famer Charles Haley said, "we all make mistakes and today the president cleared that mistake from him"; Jerry Rice called DeBartolo "like that 12th man" of the 49ers teams, per the AP.

Michael Robert Milken

1980s "junk bond king" convicted of securities fraud who later became a philanthropist

Michael Milken was the Wall Street financier known as the “junk bond king” who became a face of the insider trading scandals of the 1980s, CNBC reported. He pleaded guilty to violating U.S. securities laws and served two years in prison in the early 1990s, the Associated Press reported. The Justice Department record shows he was also fined $200 million.

Trump pardoned him on Feb. 18, 2020, praising his medical research philanthropy and saying he had “paid a big price,” NPR reported. NPR said Milken had support from people important to the president, including donor Sheldon Adelson and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. PBS NewsHour noted that Milken, like Bernard Kerik, pardoned the same day, had close ties to Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

Offense of record

Securities fraud and related crimes in his junk-bond business

Ties to Trump

PBS reported Milken had close ties to Rudy Giuliani; NPR reported support from Trump donor Sheldon Adelson and Cabinet member Elaine Chao. No donations by Milken to Trump were found in our sources.

Money

The Justice Department record lists a $200 million fine.

Who pushed for it

Sheldon Adelson and Elaine Chao, among others important to the president, per NPR.

Response

Trump said Milken had done "an incredible job for the world with all of his research on cancer" and had "paid a very tough price," per NPR.

Clint A. Lorance

Former Army first lieutenant convicted of murder for ordering soldiers to fire on Afghan men

Clint Lorance, an Army first lieutenant, was convicted in 2013 of second-degree murder after he ordered his soldiers in Afghanistan to fire on three unarmed men on a motorcycle in 2012, two of whom died, USA Today reported. Nine of his own soldiers testified against him, some alleging a cover-up, Military.com reported. He received a 19-year sentence.

Trump pardoned Lorance on November 15, 2019, along with Maj. Mathew Golsteyn, after the cases became a cause among conservatives; Trump described the men as heroes who were treated unfairly. Critics said the pardons signaled the U.S. would not honor military conventions and international law. Lorance was released from Fort Leavenworth that day after more than six years, CNN reported. He then appeared on Fox News, maintained his innocence, and said he would make the same decision again.

Offense of record

Ordered soldiers to shoot three unarmed Afghan men, two of whom died

Who pushed for it

The case became a cause among conservatives, per USA Today; Lorance appeared on Fox News after his release (Military.com; CNN).

Response

Critics said the pardons "set a bad precedent" (USA Today). Nine of Lorance's soldiers had testified against him at trial (Military.com). Lorance said on Sean Hannity's show, "I would make the same exact decision again today" (Military.com).

Since then

In December 2019 Lorance said his dishonorable discharge made it "impossible to find a job" even at Walmart or Target (Military.com).

Mathew Golsteyn

Former Army Green Beret major charged with killing a suspected Taliban bomb-maker; never tried

Mathew Golsteyn was never tried or convicted. The Army investigated him after he disclosed during a 2011 CIA job polygraph that he had killed a suspected Taliban bomb-maker in Marja, Afghanistan, in 2010; it revoked his Special Forces tab and a Distinguished Service Cross in 2014 and charged him with murder in 2018, The Washington Post reported (via the Spokesman-Review). Golsteyn had described the killing in a 2016 Fox News interview, Army Times reported, and said it occurred in a lawful ambush.

Trump, who had called him a “U.S. military hero,” pardoned him on November 15, 2019, before his court-martial, USA Today reported; CNN said he did so against Pentagon advice. In December 2019 an Army general denied Golsteyn’s request to restore his Special Forces tab.

The case

Charged with murdering a suspected bomb-maker in Afghanistan; pardoned before trial

Who pushed for it

Trump publicly backed Golsteyn on Twitter after he was charged, which Army Times reported complicated the prosecution; the case was a cause among conservatives (USA Today).

Response

The White House said Golsteyn shot the man because he believed the bomb-making would "continue to threaten American troops" (USA Today). Critics said the pardons set a bad precedent (USA Today). After the Army denied restoring his tab, Golsteyn said, "I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised" (Washington Post via Spokesman-Review).

Since then

On Dec. 3, 2019, Lt. Gen. Francis Beaudette denied Golsteyn's request to reinstate his Special Forces tab; an Army panel was to consider the tab, his Distinguished Service Cross and a reprimand (Washington Post, Jan. 16, 2020).

Note: Golsteyn was charged but never tried or convicted.

Theodore E. Suhl

Former operator of faith-based youth behavioral health centers in Arkansas

Ted Suhl ran faith-based behavioral health treatment centers for juveniles in Arkansas, including a residential center once known as the Lord’s Ranch. His companies received about $125 million in Medicaid reimbursements from 2007 to 2011, and federal prosecutors said he funneled money to a top state Department of Human Services official through a middleman to help his businesses, the Arkansas Times reported. He was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to seven years, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Trump commuted his sentence in July 2019. The White House said the request was strongly supported by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, father of then-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and by former U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins. The Arkansas Times reported that Suhl had been a powerful political player during Huckabee’s administration and that Huckabee took rides on his plane.

Offense of record

Paid a state official through a middleman to benefit his Medicaid-funded companies

Ties to Trump

His leading advocate, Mike Huckabee, is the father of Trump's then-press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Philadelphia Inquirer). The Arkansas Times reported Suhl was a powerful political player during Huckabee's governorship.

Money

His companies received about $125 million in Arkansas Medicaid reimbursements during 2007-2011, the period covered by the indictment (Arkansas Times). The DOJ record lists a $200,000 fine.

Who pushed for it

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins, who the White House said devoted "considerable time and effort to securing his release" (Arkansas Times, quoting the White House).

Response

The White House said Suhl was "a pillar of his community before his prosecution." The Arkansas Times noted it had published several investigative pieces over the years on Suhl's political connections and on practices at the Lord's Ranch.

Conrad Moffat Black

Canadian-born former newspaper baron who wrote a flattering 2018 biography of Trump

Conrad Black built a newspaper empire that once included the Chicago Sun-Times and London’s Daily Telegraph. In 2007 he was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice for, as NPR put it, illegally pocketing money that should have gone to shareholders; an appeals court later threw out two fraud counts, and he served just over three years in prison.

NPR described Black as a friend of the president. He praised him in columns and a 2018 biography, “Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other,” and Trump had once told him “I won’t forget!”, AP reported via PBS. Trump pardoned him in May 2019. The White House cited support from Henry Kissinger, Elton John and Rush Limbaugh and did not mention the Trump book. Black said Trump told him he was correcting an unjust verdict, not rewarding loyalty.

Offense of record

Diverted company money that should have gone to shareholders; obstructed justice

Ties to Trump

A longtime friend and social acquaintance of Trump who wrote a flattering 2018 Trump biography and pro-Trump columns, per AP and NPR. Trump had been expected to testify for the defense at Black's 2007 trial before Black's lawyers decided against it (NPR).

Who pushed for it

Henry Kissinger, Elton John, Rush Limbaugh and others who, the White House said, "vigorously vouched for his exceptional character" (AP via PBS).

Response

Black said he was "naturally gratified" and denied that his support for Trump was the reason (AP via PBS). University of Toronto historian Robert Bothwell, who has known Black for 50 years, said "there really is no question" the pardon was due to his praise of Trump (AP via PBS).

Patrick James Nolan

Former California Assembly Republican leader turned criminal justice reform advocate

Pat Nolan, a Republican who led the California Assembly GOP in the 1980s, was caught in the FBI’s “Shrimpscam” sting, in which he was secretly videotaped accepting checks from an undercover agent backing a bill for a fictitious shrimp-processing company, the Los Angeles Times reported. Facing six counts, he pleaded guilty in 1994 to one racketeering count and served 26 months of a 33-month sentence.

After meeting Watergate figure Chuck Colson in prison, Nolan became a prominent conservative voice for criminal justice reform. Trump pardoned him in May 2019. The White House said Trump learned of the case through Nolan’s reform work and credited him with helping pass the Prison Rape Elimination Act, the Second Chance Act, the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act. Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli had pushed for the pardon for years. Nolan said he hoped Trump would issue “many more pardons.”

Offense of record

Took campaign checks from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for legislative help

Ties to Trump

A former Republican state legislative leader and longtime conservative criminal justice reform advocate; the White House said Trump learned of his case through that reform work.

Who pushed for it

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and author Arnold Steinberg, per the White House; the LA Times said conservatives including Cuccinelli had pushed for years.

Response

Nolan said he was "obviously very grateful" and hoped the president would "issue many more pardons" for others still incarcerated (LA Times). The White House said he had made "a difficult choice" to plead guilty to support his family.

Note: Little critical coverage found; profile rests mainly on the Los Angeles Times and the White House statement.

Michael Chase Behenna

Former Army first lieutenant convicted of killing an Iraqi detainee in 2008

Michael Behenna, an Army first lieutenant from Oklahoma, was convicted by a court-martial in 2009 of unpremeditated murder. Citing The Washington Post, CNN reported that he took an Iraqi man, Ali Mansur, for an unauthorized interrogation, stripped him and shot him twice; Behenna said he acted in self-defense, while military prosecutors argued he was avenging two soldiers killed by a roadside bomb. He was paroled in 2014.

Trump pardoned him in May 2019. The White House cited support from 37 generals and admirals, Oklahoma’s governor and attorney general and members of its congressional delegation, and an appeals court’s concerns about how the self-defense claim was handled. USA Today described it as the first presidential pardon of a convicted murderer in modern history. The ACLU called it “a presidential endorsement of a murder.”

Offense of record

Killed an Iraqi detainee during an unauthorized interrogation

Who pushed for it

Thirty-seven generals and admirals and a former Pentagon inspector general (in a court brief), members of Oklahoma's congressional delegation, then-Gov. Mary Fallin and Attorney General Mike Hunter, per the White House.

Response

Hina Shamsi of the ACLU called the pardon "a presidential endorsement of a murder that violated the military's own code of justice" and said the military appeals court found Behenna had no justification for killing a naked, unarmed man (CNN). The White House called him a "model prisoner."

Dwight Lincoln Hammond

Oregon cattle rancher whose arson case sparked the 2016 Malheur refuge standoff

Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven are eastern Oregon cattle ranchers convicted in 2012 of arson on federal land they had leased for grazing. The trial judge imposed short sentences, but after a government appeal they were resentenced in 2015 to the five-year mandatory minimum. That return to prison inspired Ammon Bundy’s 2016 armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, CNN reported.

Trump pardoned both men on July 10, 2018, and commuted their remaining prison terms. The White House said the fire “leaked onto a small portion” of public land, that the evidence was conflicting, and that the earlier administration had filed an “overzealous appeal.” In 2022, two House Democrats asked the Interior Department for records, alleging that the pardon followed a $10,000 donation to a pro-Trump super PAC by a developer who had asked for it; the developer’s lawyer denied wrongdoing, HuffPost reported. A grazing permit granted on Trump’s last day in office was later rescinded.

Offense of record

Set fires that burned federal grazing land in Oregon

Ties to Trump

No personal tie to Trump. In a December 2022 letter, Reps. Raúl Grijalva and Katie Porter alleged that the pardon followed a $10,000 donation to the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action by Arizona developer Mike Ingram, who had requested it; Ingram's attorney denied wrongdoing (HuffPost). These are lawmakers' allegations; no finding of wrongdoing has been reported.

Money

The $10,000 PAC donation cited by House Democrats was by a third party (developer Mike Ingram), not the Hammonds, per HuffPost.

Who pushed for it

Neighbors, local law enforcement and ranchers across the West, according to the White House. HuffPost reported that a Republican lawmaker told Ingram that Trump was "seriously considering" the pardon.

Response

The White House said "justice is overdue" for the Hammonds. Jennifer Rokala of the Center for Western Priorities, a public-lands group, said Trump had "once again sided with lawless extremists" (HuffPost).

Since then

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt granted the Hammonds a 10-year grazing permit on Trump's last day in office; the Biden administration rescinded it. In December 2022, Reps. Grijalva and Porter sought Interior records on the pardon (HuffPost).

Note: The Ingram donation allegation comes from a letter by two Democratic lawmakers, as reported by HuffPost; Ingram's attorney denied wrongdoing. The roster lists both a pardon and a commutation for the same date.

Steven Dwight Hammond

Oregon cattle rancher, son of Dwight Hammond, whose arson case sparked the Malheur standoff

Steven Hammond and his father Dwight are eastern Oregon cattle ranchers convicted in 2012 of arson on federal land they had leased for grazing. The trial judge imposed short sentences, but after a government appeal they were resentenced in 2015 to the five-year mandatory minimum. That return to prison inspired Ammon Bundy’s 2016 armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, CNN reported.

Trump pardoned both men on July 10, 2018, and commuted their remaining prison terms. The White House said the fire “leaked onto a small portion” of public land, that the evidence was conflicting, and that the earlier administration had filed an “overzealous appeal.” In 2022, two House Democrats asked the Interior Department for records, alleging that the pardon followed a $10,000 donation to a pro-Trump super PAC by a developer who had asked for it; the developer’s lawyer denied wrongdoing, HuffPost reported. A grazing permit granted on Trump’s last day in office was later rescinded.

Offense of record

Set fires that burned federal grazing land in Oregon

Ties to Trump

No personal tie to Trump. In a December 2022 letter, Reps. Raúl Grijalva and Katie Porter alleged that the pardon followed a $10,000 donation to the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action by Arizona developer Mike Ingram, who had requested it; Ingram's attorney denied wrongdoing (HuffPost). These are lawmakers' allegations; no finding of wrongdoing has been reported.

Money

The $10,000 PAC donation cited by House Democrats was by a third party (developer Mike Ingram), not the Hammonds, per HuffPost.

Who pushed for it

Neighbors, local law enforcement and ranchers across the West, according to the White House. HuffPost reported that a Republican lawmaker told Ingram that Trump was "seriously considering" the pardon.

Response

The White House said "justice is overdue" for the Hammonds. Jennifer Rokala of the Center for Western Priorities, a public-lands group, said Trump had "once again sided with lawless extremists" (HuffPost).

Since then

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt granted the Hammonds a 10-year grazing permit on Trump's last day in office; the Biden administration rescinded it. In December 2022, Reps. Grijalva and Porter sought Interior records on the pardon (HuffPost).

Note: The Ingram donation allegation comes from a letter by two Democratic lawmakers, as reported by HuffPost; Ingram's attorney denied wrongdoing. The roster lists both a pardon and a commutation for the same date.

Dinesh D'Souza

Conservative author and filmmaker who pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions

Dinesh D’Souza pleaded guilty in 2014 to reimbursing two associates he had directed to give $10,000 each to the 2012 New York Senate campaign of Republican Wendy Long, above the legal limit, CNBC reported. He was sentenced to probation, community confinement and a fine.

Trump announced a full pardon in May 2018, saying D’Souza “was treated very unfairly by our government!” The White House called him a victim of selective prosecution, but the judge in his case had found “no evidence” for that claim, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Times noted that his prosecutor, Preet Bharara, had been fired by Trump, and that Sean Hannity and Sen. Ted Cruz had championed D’Souza’s cause. Trump said he had never met D’Souza.

D’Souza later made the 2022 film “2000 Mules,” whose claims about the 2020 election were debunked by fact-checkers, NPR reported; its publisher recalled the book version.

Offense of record

Used straw donors to give over the legal limit to a Senate candidate

Ties to Trump

A prominent conservative commentator whose clemency was a cause for Trump confidant Sean Hannity and Sen. Ted Cruz, per the LA Times. Trump said he had never met or spoken with him before the pardon. He later promoted claims that the 2020 election was stolen in "2000 Mules" (NPR).

Money

The illegal contributions totaled about $20,000 (two $10,000 straw donations), per CNBC.

Who pushed for it

Fox News host Sean Hannity and Sen. Ted Cruz, per the LA Times; the White House would not say who urged the pardon.

Response

Preet Bharara said D'Souza "intentionally broke the law, voluntarily pled guilty, apologized for his conduct & the judge found no unfairness" (LA Times). The White House said he "accepted responsibility for his actions" and was "fully worthy of this pardon" (CNBC).

Since then

Released the film "2000 Mules" in 2022, which NPR reported was widely debunked; former Attorney General Bill Barr called its premise "indefensible," and publisher Regnery recalled the book version (NPR, Sept. 8, 2022).

John Arthur Johnson

First Black world heavyweight boxing champion (1878-1946), pardoned posthumously

This was a posthumous pardon. Jack Johnson, the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion, was convicted in 1913 under the Mann Act (the White Slave Traffic Act) for traveling across state lines with his white girlfriend. An all-white jury convicted him in under two hours, and he was imprisoned for a year, CNN reported.

Trump granted the pardon in May 2018 after actor Sylvester Stallone brought the case to him, with Johnson’s great-great niece Linda Bell Haywood and boxer Deontay Wilder in the Oval Office. Efforts to clear Johnson went back years: filmmaker Ken Burns, Sen. John McCain and others proposed it in 2004, and in 2016 McCain and Sen. Harry Reid asked President Obama to act, CNN reported. The Justice Department had declined to recommend it, and its policy discourages posthumous pardons, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Offense of record

Crossed state lines with his white girlfriend, then a federal crime under the Mann Act

Who pushed for it

Actor Sylvester Stallone (CNN); Sen. John McCain, Sen. Harry Reid, Reps. Peter King and Gregory Meeks, Sen. Cory Booker and filmmaker Ken Burns over many years (CNN); Johnson's great-great niece Linda Bell Haywood (Chicago Tribune).

Response

Trump said Johnson "was not treated fairly." Ken Burns welcomed the pardon and noted McCain had lived to see it (CNN).

Note: Posthumous pardon. The DOJ record dates the sentence to 1920, when Johnson returned to the U.S. to serve it; the conviction itself was in 1913.

I. Lewis Libby

Former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, convicted in the CIA leak investigation

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was convicted in 2007 of perjury and obstruction of justice in the investigation into who leaked the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame, CNN reported; he was not accused of the leak itself. President George W. Bush commuted his 30-month prison sentence but declined to pardon him. Libby paid a $250,000 fine and completed probation and community service, CNBC reported.

Trump pardoned him in April 2018, saying he did not know Libby personally. The pardon came while Trump was under a special counsel investigation, and CNN noted the original special counsel had been appointed by James Comey. Former special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald said Libby received a fair trial. CNN also reported that people loyal to Libby, including national security adviser John Bolton, had recently joined Trump’s circle. The White House cited a key witness who later recanted her testimony and Libby’s readmission to the bar, CNBC reported.

Offense of record

Lied to investigators and a grand jury in the CIA leak probe

Ties to Trump

Trump said he had no personal relationship with Libby. CNN reported that people loyal to Libby, including John Bolton, had recently entered Trump's inner circle, and that Libby-linked lawyers Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing had considered joining Trump's legal team.

Money

Libby had already paid a $250,000 fine (CNN).

Who pushed for it

Dick Cheney, who had pressed Bush for a pardon; Libby's allies who argued he was the victim of an overzealous special counsel (CNN).

Response

Libby said he and his family were "immensely grateful." Cheney called him "one of the most capable, principled, and honorable men I have ever known." Patrick Fitzgerald said Libby "received a fair trial" and "the facts have not changed" (CNN).

Kristian Mark Saucier

Former Navy machinist's mate who photographed classified areas of a nuclear submarine

Kristian Saucier served on the nuclear attack submarine USS Alexandria and took photos of classified areas, including its propulsion system. After an FBI interview in 2012 he destroyed a computer, camera and memory card, and he was charged in 2015 with illegally retaining defense information, NPR reported. He served a 12-month sentence.

During the 2016 campaign Trump often cited the case, arguing Saucier was punished more harshly than Hillary Clinton over her private email server; prosecutors rejected the comparison, noting in part that Saucier admitted wrongdoing. Trump pardoned him in March 2018. The White House noted he was 22 at the time of the offenses, USA Today reported. Months later Saucier filed a $20 million lawsuit naming Barack Obama, James Comey and others, arguing he was treated more harshly than Clinton, the Hartford Courant reported.

Offense of record

Kept photos of classified submarine areas, then destroyed evidence after FBI questioning

Ties to Trump

No personal tie reported. Trump repeatedly used Saucier's case as a 2016 campaign talking point against Hillary Clinton, per NPR.

Who pushed for it

Saucier's own lawyers; the case was a recurring Trump campaign talking point (NPR).

Response

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Saucier's offense "stands in contrast to his commendable military service." Trump tweeted congratulations on his "newly found Freedom" (NPR). Saucier's attorney Greg Rinckey called it "the right answer" (USA Today). At sentencing, prosecutors had called the Clinton comparison "grasping at highly imaginative and speculative straws" (USA Today).

Since then

In July 2018 Saucier, representing himself, filed a $20 million federal lawsuit naming Barack Obama, James Comey, Loretta Lynch, Andrew McCabe and another FBI official, alleging harsher treatment than Clinton (Hartford Courant).

Sholom Rubashkin

Former executive of Agriprocessors, once the largest U.S. kosher meatpacker, in Postville, Iowa

Sholom Rubashkin ran the Iowa headquarters of Agriprocessors, the country’s largest kosher meat-processing company. His prosecution followed a 2008 federal raid in which 389 immigrants were arrested at the plant, and he was convicted in 2009 of bank fraud and related charges for submitting fake invoices to the company’s lender, NBC News reported. He was serving a 27-year sentence when Trump commuted it in December 2017, Trump’s first commutation. The White House cited support from more than 100 former senior law enforcement and Justice Department officials and more than 30 members of Congress. A retired prosecutor from the office that brought the case said the decision “makes no sense.”

A 2019 CNN investigation reported, citing three former officials, that Jared Kushner repeatedly raised the case with Trump. The commutation left his conviction, supervised release and nearly $27 million in restitution in place.

Offense of record

Defrauded the company's bank with fake invoices; also money laundering and other counts

Ties to Trump

No direct tie to Trump. CNN reported in 2019 that Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner pressed the case inside the White House and that Charles Kushner lobbied the New York legal community on Rubashkin's behalf; it is not known whether the Kushners personally knew Rubashkin, CNN said.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $26.9 million. The commutation did not cancel the roughly $27 million restitution order or five years of supervised release, per CNN.

Who pushed for it

More than 100 former high-ranking law enforcement and Justice Department officials, including former attorneys general, and more than 30 members of Congress (NBC News, citing the White House). CNN reported that Jared Kushner raised the case with Trump several times in 2017, and that Alan Dershowitz supplied information to Kushner's aide.

Response

Rubashkin's lawyer Guy Cook said he "has finally received justice." Bob Teig, a retired prosecutor and spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in northern Iowa, said the decision "makes no sense" given Trump's promises on illegal immigration and that every court reviewing the sentence had found it fair (NBC News). A senior administration official told CNN the president would "do the right thing" on clemency regardless of messaging.

Since then

Released from prison in December 2017 after serving more than eight years; still owes restitution, per CNN (2019).

Joseph M. Arpaio

Former six-term sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, and early Trump campaign supporter

Joe Arpaio was convicted in July 2017 of misdemeanor criminal contempt for intentionally defying a federal judge’s order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants, the Associated Press reported via PBS. Trump pardoned him on August 25, 2017, before his scheduled October sentencing. The White House called Arpaio, then 85, a “worthy candidate” after more than fifty years of service. CNN noted his sentencing had been set for October 5, and reported that Sen. John McCain said Arpaio had been found guilty of continuing to illegally profile Latinos, while the ACLU called the pardon “a presidential endorsement of racism.”

Arpaio later asked courts to erase the conviction. In February 2020 the Ninth Circuit declined, saying the verdict no longer had legal consequences because of the pardon, AP reported. He finished last in Arizona’s 2018 Republican Senate primary and announced a 2020 run to win back his old sheriff’s job, AP reported.

Offense of record

Defied a federal judge's order to stop immigration-focused traffic patrols

Ties to Trump

Arpaio was an early supporter of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and became linked to Trump over their hardline immigration views, per AP (via PBS).

Who pushed for it

Trump signaled the pardon himself at a Phoenix rally days earlier, saying Arpaio was "going to be just fine," per AP via PBS. The pardon came outside the Justice Department's normal review process.

Response

The White House said Arpaio had protected the public "from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration." Sen. John McCain said Arpaio was convicted for continuing to illegally profile Latinos in violation of a judge's orders, and the ACLU called the pardon "a presidential endorsement of racism" (CNN).

Since then

The trial judge refused to erase the conviction; on Feb. 27, 2020 the Ninth Circuit also declined, saying the pardon left the verdict without legal consequence, which Arpaio called "a win" (AP). He came in last in the 2018 Arizona Republican Senate primary and in August 2019 launched a 2020 bid to return as Maricopa County sheriff (AP).