Trump Second-Term Pardons: Every Grant Since January 2025

John Dougherty

Longtime Philadelphia electricians' union leader known as "Johnny Doc"

John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty led Philadelphia’s IBEW Local 98 for nearly three decades and was a major Democratic power broker in Pennsylvania. He was convicted in 2021 of bribing City Councilmember Bobby Henon and in 2023 of embezzling nearly $600,000 from the union, NBC News reported, and was sentenced in 2024 to six years. A federal judge had repeatedly refused to release him to care for his gravely ill wife, and Trump had denied his commutation request earlier in 2026, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Trump commuted his sentence on September 3, 2026; a White House official cited his wife’s condition. Prosecutors had opposed his release, CBS Philadelphia reported. He was freed after less than two years, and the commutation also ends about $1.6 million in restitution, the Inquirer reported.

Offense of record

Convicted of embezzling union funds and of bribing a city councilmember

Ties to Trump

No tie to Trump was reported. His lawyer stressed that Dougherty is a Democrat and Trump a Republican.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $1.6 million. About $1.6 million in restitution to the union no longer has to be paid, according to his lawyer as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Who pushed for it

His lawyer, George Bochetto, said he was in regular contact with White House staff. Outgoing Pardon Attorney Ed Martin posted "Mercy granted by the Mercy President, Donald J. Trump" (Inquirer).

Response

Bochetto called the commutation "a magnificent gesture of compassion." A White House official said his wife's care needs figured in the decision. Prosecutors had opposed his release, and the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment (Inquirer, CBS Philadelphia). His successor at Local 98, Mark Lynch Jr., said: "We don't spend our time focused on that."

Since then

September 4, 2026: released from the federal penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pa. His convictions stand and bar him from elected union office for 13 years under Labor Department rules (Inquirer).

Molly Ann Bloom

Texas woman serving a federal drug-conspiracy sentence

Molly Ann Bloom was sentenced in federal court in the Northern District of Texas in February 2020 to 148 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, according to the Justice Department’s clemency list. President Trump commuted her prison sentence on September 3, 2026, which shortens her prison term but leaves the conviction in place. We found no news coverage of her case or of who sought clemency for her.

Offense of record

Conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs

Response

No public response from Bloom, the White House or prosecutors was found.

Note: No news coverage found beyond the Justice Department's clemency list. Despite the shared name, the DOJ record (a 2020 Texas drug sentence) does not match the author of "Molly's Game".

Adam R. Kidan

Former business partner of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, convicted in a casino-boat purchase fraud

Adam Kidan pleaded guilty in 2005 to fraud and conspiracy related to the purchase of a fleet of gambling boats and was sentenced in 2006 to nearly six years in prison, AP reported. The case was part of the wider investigation into lobbyist Jack Abramoff, his former business partner. The court ordered more than $21.7 million in restitution, according to the Justice Department. Trump pardoned Kidan on July 3, 2026. The White House said that after leaving prison in 2009 he worked for or led staffing companies that helped place more than 250,000 people in entry-level jobs, the Spokesman-Review reported, adding that Kidan is a Republican donor. Newsday had reported in March 2026 that Kidan helped host a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago for a Long Island Republican congressional candidate, according to AP.

Offense of record

Defrauded lenders in the purchase of a casino-boat company

Ties to Trump

The Spokesman-Review reported that Kidan is a Republican donor; AP, citing Newsday, reported he was among the hosts of a March 2026 fundraiser at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort for a Long Island Republican congressional candidate. No reporting links this to the pardon.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $21.7 million. Restitution per the Justice Department clemency record. No donation totals were reported.

Response

The White House cited his post-prison work in staffing companies (Spokesman-Review). A message to Kidan's business seeking comment was not returned (AP).

Since then

Kidan is president of Empire Workforce Solutions, the White House said (AP).

Stephen E. Buyer

Former Republican congressman from Indiana convicted of insider trading

Stephen Buyer, a Republican who represented Indiana in Congress until 2011, was convicted of insider trading on the T-Mobile-Sprint merger and on management consultant Navigant ahead of its acquisition by his client Guidehouse, trades he made while working as a consultant and lobbyist. He was sentenced in 2023 to 22 months in prison and released in 2025, AP reported. Buyer was a House manager in President Clinton’s 1998 impeachment trial and served on Trump’s 2016 transition team. On May 31, 2026, Trump shared on Truth Social letters from more than 40 former Republican members of Congress and five sitting House Republicans asking for a pardon. Trump pardoned him on June 4, 2026. Buyer said the pardon “corrects a politically motivated prosecution” and maintains his innocence, NBC News reported.

Offense of record

Traded stocks using inside information from consulting clients

Ties to Trump

Former GOP congressman who served on Trump's 2016 transition team focusing on veterans' issues (AP). His pardon was sought in letters from more than 40 former Republican members of Congress and five current House Republicans, which Trump shared publicly.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $765,913. Restitution per the Justice Department clemency record; AP reported he was ordered to forfeit more than $350,000 in illegal gains and pay a $10,000 fine.

Who pushed for it

More than 40 former Republican members of Congress (April 2025 letter) and Reps. Tom Cole, Ken Calvert, Marlin Stutzman, Jack Bergman and Pete Sessions (June 2025 letter), per AP. Trump posted both letters on Truth Social on May 31, 2026.

Response

Buyer said the pardon "corrects a politically motivated prosecution" and that it was "horrific to be imprisoned for a crime that I did not commit" (AP/NBC News). Trump's pardon cited his "distinguished and highly productive" career in the Army JAG corps and in the House. The former members' letter said he was "targeted by the deep state."

Since then

The Supreme Court had rejected Buyer's appeal shortly before the pardon (NBC News).

Billy A. Cannon

1959 Heisman Trophy winner and pro football star, pardoned posthumously

Billy Cannon won the 1959 Heisman Trophy at LSU and played professionally for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, later becoming a dentist. He admitted to counterfeiting in the 1980s after bad investments and debts left him broke, CBS News reported. Cannon died in 2018, so his pardon, granted February 12, 2026, was posthumous. It was one of five pardons for former NFL players announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson, NBC News reported. The White House did not explain why Trump pardoned the players. Johnson framed the grants as second chances, writing that “excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again,” WJLA reported.

Offense of record

Took part in a counterfeiting scheme

Ties to Trump

Famous former college and pro football player. No political or financial tie to Trump was reported.

Who pushed for it

The pardon was announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson (CBS News, NBC News).

Response

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on why the players were pardoned (CBS News, NBC News).

Note: Posthumous pardon (Cannon died in 2018). The Justice Department's clemency table lists the District of Montana, but the signed pardon warrant names his 1983 case in the Middle District of Louisiana.

Jamal Lewis

Former Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns running back

Jamal Lewis, a running back for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns and the 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year, pleaded guilty in a drug case in which he used a cellphone to try to set up a drug deal not long after he was a top pick in the 2000 NFL draft, CBS News reported. He was sentenced in 2005 to four months in prison, according to the Justice Department. Trump pardoned him on February 12, 2026, one of five former NFL players whose pardons were announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson. The White House did not say why Trump, “an avid sports fan,” pardoned the players, NBC News reported. Johnson thanked Trump for his “continued commitment to second chances,” WJLA reported.

Offense of record

Used a phone to help arrange a cocaine deal

Ties to Trump

Former NFL star. No political or financial tie to Trump was reported.

Who pushed for it

Announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson (CBS News, NBC News).

Response

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on why the players were pardoned (CBS News, NBC News). No public statement from Lewis was found.

Joseph Klecko

Hall of Fame New York Jets defensive lineman

Joe Klecko, a former New York Jets defensive lineman who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023, pleaded guilty to perjury after lying to a federal grand jury that was investigating insurance fraud, CBS News reported. He was sentenced in federal court in eastern Pennsylvania in 1993 to three months in prison, according to the Justice Department. Trump pardoned him on February 12, 2026, along with four other former NFL players, in grants announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson, NBC News reported. The White House did not explain the decision. Johnson thanked Trump for his “continued commitment to second chances,” WJLA reported.

Offense of record

Lied to a federal grand jury investigating insurance fraud

Ties to Trump

Hall of Fame football player. No political or financial tie to Trump was reported.

Who pushed for it

Announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson (CBS News, NBC News).

Response

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on why the players were pardoned (CBS News, NBC News). No public statement from Klecko was found.

Travis Henry

Former Denver Broncos running back

Travis Henry, a former running back who played for three NFL teams including the Denver Broncos, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine for financing a drug ring that moved the drug between Colorado and Montana, CBS News reported. He was sentenced in Montana federal court in 2009 to 36 months in prison, according to the Justice Department. Trump pardoned him on February 12, 2026, one of five former NFL players whose pardons were announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson. The White House did not say why Trump, “an avid sports fan,” pardoned the players, NBC News reported. Johnson thanked Trump for his “continued commitment to second chances,” WJLA reported.

Offense of record

Financed a cocaine-distribution ring

Ties to Trump

Former NFL player. No political or financial tie to Trump was reported.

Who pushed for it

Announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson (CBS News, NBC News).

Response

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on why the players were pardoned (CBS News, NBC News). No public statement from Henry was found.

Julio M. Herrera Velutini

Venezuelan-Italian banker charged in a Puerto Rico bribery case with ex-Gov. Wanda Vázquez

Julio Herrera Velutini, founder of Britannia Financial Group, was charged in 2022 with former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced and ex-FBI agent Mark Rossini in what CBS described as a bribery scheme. As trial neared in 2025, the Justice Department reached a plea deal and all three pleaded guilty to lesser charges, after the judge had expressed dismay at the plan, CBS News reported. House Judiciary Democrats say he was alleged to have funneled $300,000 toward Vázquez’s campaign in exchange for removing a regulator scrutinizing his bank.

Trump pardoned all three on Jan. 15, 2026, then amended the pardon on Jan. 20 to cover the pending misdemeanors (El Nuevo Día). His daughter Isabela gave $3.5 million to MAGA Inc. while the case was pending; a White House official said that had nothing to do with it (CBS). In October 2026 the New York Times reported a company she created had guaranteed Trump’s former lawyer Alina Habba $50 million, which Habba denies is connected (CNN).

The case

Charged with offering campaign money to a governor to remove a bank regulator

Ties to Trump

His daughter Isabela Herrera gave $2.5 million (Dec. 2024) and $1 million (July 2025) to pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc., per public records reported by CBS News. House Judiciary Democrats note his lawyer, Chris Kise, was previously on Trump's defense team. A company created by his daughter later hired ex-Trump lawyer Alina Habba (NYT, via CNN). Donations are not evidence of a quid pro quo.

Money

Reported political donations: $3.5 million. Donations were made by his daughter to MAGA Inc., not by Herrera Velutini (CBS News). The NYT reported a $50 million employment deal for Alina Habba with a company his daughter created (via CNN).

Who pushed for it

His attorney Chris Kise, a former member of Trump's legal team, negotiated with then-Deputy AG Todd Blanche, per House Judiciary Democrats (their claim).

Response

A White House official said the donations "had nothing to do with the pardon" (CBS News). Kise said his client was "profoundly grateful." Habba called any suggestion her job was tied to the pardon "false" (CNN). House Judiciary Democrats called the case cash-for-clemency (their claim).

Since then

Jan. 20, 2026: Trump amended the pardon to cover the pending campaign-finance misdemeanors (El Nuevo Día). Oct. 2026: the NYT reported the $50 million Habba deal; no one has been charged (CNN).

Note: Pleaded guilty to lesser charges under a 2025 deal; the bribery counts listed in the DOJ record were never tried.

Mark T. Rossini

Former FBI agent and consultant to a banker in the Puerto Rico campaign-finance case

Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent, was charged in 2022 with former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez and Venezuelan-Italian banker Julio Herrera Velutini. Authorities said Herrera and Rossini, who provided consulting services to Herrera, promised to support Vázquez’s 2020 campaign if she replaced the regulator investigating Herrera’s bank, AP reported. All three pleaded guilty to lesser charges in August 2025 after the Justice Department cut a deal as trial neared, CBS News reported. Trump pardoned all three on January 15, 2026, and amended the pardons days later to cover the remaining misdemeanor charges so the case could close, El Nuevo Día reported. Herrera’s daughter had given $3.5 million to the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc.; a White House official told CBS the donations had nothing to do with the pardons. In October 2026 Rossini told El Nuevo Día that prosecutors kept the charges alive to avoid public anger in Puerto Rico.

Offense of record

Pleaded guilty to a campaign-finance offense; bribery charges were dropped

Ties to Trump

Rossini has no reported tie to Trump. His co-defendant Herrera Velutini's daughter gave $2.5 million (December 2024) and $1 million (July 2025) to MAGA Inc., CBS News reported citing public records; the White House said the donations were unrelated to the pardons.

Money

The $3.5 million in MAGA Inc. donations reported by CBS came from his co-defendant's daughter, not from Rossini.

Who pushed for it

Not reported for Rossini individually. Herrera Velutini was represented by Chris Kise, a former Trump defense lawyer, who met senior Justice Department officials seeking to drop or reduce the charges, CBS News reported.

Response

A White House official told CBS News the case was politically motivated and that the donations had nothing to do with the pardons. Rossini maintains his innocence and told El Nuevo Día (Oct. 2026) that prosecutors kept charges against the defendants to avoid "the wrath of the people of Puerto Rico." House Judiciary Democrats' August 2026 staff report described him as a "disgraced former" FBI agent who allegedly acted as a go-between.

Since then

January 20, 2026: the pardon was amended to cover the remaining charge (contribution by a foreign national), and the defendants accepted it in court, El Nuevo Día reported. October 2026: Rossini publicly disputed the prosecution in an interview with El Nuevo Día.

Wanda Vazquez Garced

Former governor of Puerto Rico who pleaded guilty to a campaign-finance violation

Wanda Vázquez Garced, Puerto Rico’s governor from 2019 to 2021, was arrested in 2022 and accused of a bribery scheme: authorities said a Venezuelan banker and his consultant promised to back her 2020 campaign if she replaced a regulator investigating his bank, AP reported. In August 2025 she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of accepting a promised foreign campaign contribution that was never received, after the Justice Department dropped the bribery counts. Trump pardoned her and both co-defendants on January 15, 2026. The banker’s daughter had given $3.5 million to MAGA Inc., CBS News reported; a White House official said that was unrelated. The White House said the investigation began 10 days after she endorsed Trump in 2020, NBC News reported. Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González, from Vázquez’s own party, said the pardon sent the wrong message, El Nuevo Día reported.

Offense of record

Pleaded guilty to accepting a promised campaign contribution from a foreign national

Ties to Trump

A Republican aligned with Puerto Rico's pro-statehood New Progressive Party, she endorsed Trump in 2020; a White House official said the investigation began 10 days after that endorsement (AP, NBC News). Her co-defendant's daughter gave $3.5 million to MAGA Inc., per public records reported by CBS News.

Money

The $3.5 million in MAGA Inc. donations (CBS News, citing public records) came from co-defendant Herrera Velutini's daughter, not from Vázquez. Prosecutors had sought a one-year sentence before the pardon (AP).

Who pushed for it

Her pardon materials argued there was no quid pro quo and that the prosecution was politically motivated, a White House official told CBS News and NBC News.

Response

A White House official said the case was a political prosecution. Puerto Rico's delegate in Congress, Pablo José Hernández (Popular Democratic Party), said "Impunity protects and fosters corruption" (AP). Gov. Jenniffer González repudiated the pardon, saying it sends the wrong message about the obligation of those in power to answer to citizens (El Nuevo Día). Vázquez's attorneys did not respond to AP.

Since then

January 20, 2026: Trump amended the pardon to cover the remaining misdemeanor charge, and Vázquez and her co-defendants accepted it in court so the case could be closed, El Nuevo Día reported. Her sentencing had been set for later that month.

Terren Scott Peizer

Former CEO and chairman of health care company Ontrak, convicted of insider trading

Terren Peizer, former chairman and CEO of Miami-based health care company Ontrak, was convicted by a jury in 2024 of securities fraud and insider trading. The Justice Department said he set up Rule 10b5-1 stock-trading plans after learning Ontrak’s largest customer was likely to end its contract, then sold shares the next trading day, avoiding losses of more than $12.5 million. DOJ called it the first insider-trading prosecution based solely on the use of such plans. In June 2025 he was sentenced to 42 months in prison, fined $5.25 million and ordered to forfeit more than $12.7 million. Trump pardoned him on January 16, 2026, a day after a larger batch of clemency grants, AP reported. We found no public explanation from the White House and no reporting on who sought the pardon.

Offense of record

Sold company stock using inside information to avoid losses

Money

Sentenced to a $5.25 million fine and forfeiture of more than $12.7 million in ill-gotten gains, per the Justice Department; losses avoided exceeded $12.5 million.

Response

At sentencing, the prosecutor said: "Terren Peizer betrayed the trust of Ontrak's investors, trading on inside information to offload company stock before a substantial price decline" (Justice Department). No White House explanation for the pardon was found.

Note: Limited coverage of the pardon itself; the case details rest mainly on the Justice Department's sentencing announcement.

Adriana Isabel Camberos

San Diego-area woman freed by Trump in 2021, then convicted again in a grocery-resale fraud

Adriana Camberos was convicted in 2016 in a scheme to sell millions of counterfeit 5-Hour Energy shots and was sentenced to 26 months; Trump commuted that sentence in 2021 after she had served barely half, the Los Angeles Times reported. In 2024 she and her brother Andres were convicted again, of lying to manufacturers to buy groceries at deep discounts meant for Mexico or prisons and rehab centers, then reselling them in the U.S. She was sentenced in 2025 to a year and a day.

Trump pardoned both siblings in January 2026 (AP). A White House official told the Times the Biden administration had targeted the family. House Democrats note Andres gave $50,000 to Trump’s 2020 campaign in January 2021 (staff report).

Offense of record

Lied to suppliers to get discounted groceries, then resold them in the U.S.

Ties to Trump

Her brother Andres, pardoned with her, donated $50,000 to Trump's 2020 campaign in January 2021, according to House Judiciary Democrats. A donation is not evidence of a quid pro quo.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $48.8 million. Reported political donations: $50,000. Restitution ($48.8M, jointly with her brother) is from the DOJ clemency record; the $50,000 donation was made by her brother, per House Judiciary Democrats.

Who pushed for it

House Judiciary Democrats say her first-term clemency bid was carried by lawyer Adam Katz to former White House counsel Stefan Passantino and then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene; no advocates for the 2026 pardon were named in coverage.

Response

A White House official told the Los Angeles Times the administration was "correcting an earlier wrong," arguing the siblings were unfairly targeted under President Biden. The Times noted no public explanation was given.

Andres Enrique Camberos

Brother of Adriana Camberos, convicted with her in a San Diego grocery-resale fraud

Andres Camberos and his sister Adriana were convicted in 2024 of lying to manufacturers to buy wholesale groceries at big discounts by claiming the goods were for Mexico or for prisons and rehab facilities, then selling them at higher prices in the U.S., the Los Angeles Times reported. He was sentenced in 2025 to probation, with nearly $49 million in restitution owed jointly.

Trump pardoned both in January 2026; his sister had already received a first-term commutation in a separate counterfeit-drink case (AP). House Judiciary Democrats say Andres donated $50,000 to Trump’s 2020 campaign in January 2021 (staff report). A White House official said the family had been targeted under President Biden.

Offense of record

Lied to suppliers to get discounted groceries, then resold them in the U.S.

Ties to Trump

Donated $50,000 to Trump's 2020 campaign in January 2021, according to House Judiciary Democrats. A donation is not evidence of a quid pro quo.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $48.8 million. Reported political donations: $50,000. Restitution (joint with his sister) is from the DOJ clemency record; the donation figure is from the House Judiciary Democrats' staff report.

Response

A White House official told the Los Angeles Times the siblings "were unfairly targeted and subject to a political prosecution" under the Biden administration.

David Levy

Man convicted in New York federal court of securities fraud, pardoned in January 2026

David Levy was convicted in the Eastern District of New York of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud, and was sentenced in January 2024 to time served and a $5,000 fine, according to the Justice Department’s clemency list. Trump pardoned him on Jan. 15, 2026. No news coverage of the case or the pardon was found.

Offense of record

Securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud

Note: No news coverage found beyond the Justice Department's clemency list.

Hollie Ann Nadel

Woman convicted in Washington, D.C., federal court of money-laundering and bank-fraud conspiracy

Hollie Ann Nadel was convicted in federal court in Washington, D.C., of conspiracy to commit money laundering and bank fraud, and was sentenced in September 2024 to time served, three years of supervised release and $250,000 in restitution, according to the Justice Department’s clemency list. Trump pardoned her on Jan. 15, 2026. No news coverage of the case or the pardon was found.

Offense of record

Conspiracy to commit money laundering and bank fraud

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $250,000. Restitution figure is from the DOJ clemency record.

Note: No news coverage found beyond the Justice Department's clemency list.

Jacob Deutsch

Brooklyn real estate manager convicted in a nearly $50 million Hartford mortgage-fraud scheme

Jacob Deutsch, a Brooklyn man who ran a Hartford-based property management company, pleaded guilty in a scheme to obtain nearly $50 million in mortgage loans on about two dozen apartment buildings using fake rent rolls, inflated leases and doctored purchase documents, CT Insider reported. Prosecutors said he defrauded another lender while out on bond. He was sentenced to 62 months.

Trump commuted the sentence in January 2026, also wiping out his supervised release and $10,000 fine; the order gave no reason. Rabbi Moshe Margaretten of the Tzedek Association, a criminal-justice advocacy group described as a longtime Trump ally, praised the decision and called the case a profound miscarriage of justice, CT Insider reported.

Offense of record

Used fake rent rolls and leases to get bank loans on apartment buildings

Ties to Trump

Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, founder of the Tzedek Association and a longtime Trump ally who has urged other clemency grants, publicly praised the commutation (CT Insider).

Money

The commutation also cancelled his $10,000 fine (CT Insider).

Who pushed for it

Rabbi Moshe Margaretten of the Tzedek Association praised the grant; CT Insider did not report whether he sought it.

Response

Margaretten said fairness was restored and Deutsch had been "punished with extraordinary severity" (CT Insider). The commutation order gave no reason.

Note: Only one outlet's coverage was found. CT Insider reports he was sentenced in early 2022; the DOJ record lists a January 2024 judgment date.

Kenneth Caprist Kelly

Maryland man convicted of armed bank robbery in the early 1990s

Kenneth Caprist Kelly was convicted in federal court in Maryland of armed bank robbery, assault during an armed bank robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the Justice Department’s clemency list. He was sentenced in April 1993 to 69 months in prison (as amended) and five years of supervised release. President Trump pardoned him on January 15, 2026, more than three decades after the sentence. We found no news coverage of the pardon, of Kelly’s life since his release, or of who asked for clemency on his behalf.

Offense of record

Armed bank robbery with a firearm

Response

No public response from Kelly, the White House or prosecutors was found.

Note: No news coverage found beyond the Justice Department's clemency list.

Tina Peters

Former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk convicted in state court over a 2021 election-system breach

Tina Peters, a Republican former county clerk in Mesa County, Colorado, was convicted by a state jury in 2024 of four felonies and three misdemeanors for helping someone associated with MyPillow founder Mike Lindell gain access to county election equipment, NBC News reported. She was sentenced to nine years in state prison. She was never charged with a federal crime.

In December 2025 Trump announced a “full Pardon” for her. Because a presidential pardon cannot reach state convictions, it was largely symbolic; Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said it “will not hold up,” The Colorado Sun reported. Under pressure from Trump, Gov. Jared Polis commuted her sentence in May 2026, and she was released June 1, CNN reported. She remains on state parole (Colorado Sun).

Offense of record

Let an unauthorized person access county election equipment while clerk (state crimes)

Ties to Trump

Peters promoted false claims about the 2020 election, and Trump called her "a Patriot" who wanted honest elections (NBC News, Colorado Sun).

Who pushed for it

Trump himself publicly campaigned for her release and pressured Colorado (CNN, Colorado Sun).

Response

Trump wrote she was jailed "for the 'crime' of demanding Honest Elections." Colorado AG Phil Weiser said a presidential pardon of a state conviction "has no precedent in American law" (Colorado Sun). Election officials, prosecutors and lawmakers of both parties condemned Polis's later commutation (CNN).

Since then

May 15, 2026: Gov. Polis halved her nine-year sentence; she was released June 1, 2026 and appeared on Steve Bannon's podcast (CNN). As of August 2026 she was on parole, and a Shasta County, California, official said he planned to hire her for election work (Colorado Sun).

Note: The federal pardon has no effect on her Colorado state conviction; her release came from the governor's commutation.

Enrique Roberto Cuellar

Rep. Henry Cuellar, Texas Democrat, indicted with his wife in a foreign-bribery case

Enrique Roberto “Henry” Cuellar has represented a South Texas district in the U.S. House since 2005. A 2024 indictment accused him and his wife, Imelda, of taking at least $598,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-owned energy company and a Mexican bank, laundered through sham consulting contracts, CBS News reported. Cuellar has said they were innocent, and the case was set for trial in April 2026, so the pardon came before any verdict.

Trump announced the pardons on Truth Social in December 2025, posting a letter from the couple’s daughters and calling the case Biden-era “weaponization.” Cuellar said no deal was made (NBC News). Days later Trump called him disloyal for running again as a Democrat (AP), and in January 2026 endorsed his Republican challenger (NBC News).

The case

Charged with taking bribes from foreign interests; never tried

Ties to Trump

Sitting Democratic congressman. Trump cited Cuellar's opposition to Biden's immigration policies (CBS News). No donations to Trump were reported.

Money

Prosecutors alleged at least $598,000 in bribes; no conviction, so no restitution.

Who pushed for it

His daughters, Christina and Catherine Cuellar, wrote to Trump in November 2025 asking for clemency (CBS News, AP).

Response

Cuellar thanked Trump; asked whether a deal was cut, he said "No" (NBC News). House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said "the right outcome has been achieved" (CBS News). Trump later blasted Cuellar for "such a lack of LOYALTY" (AP).

Since then

Dec. 2025: Trump criticized Cuellar for seeking re-election as a Democrat (AP). Jan. 6, 2026: Trump endorsed Republican Tano Tijerina against him (NBC News). AP reported he still faced a House Ethics Committee investigation.

Note: Charged but never tried; the pardon ended the case before trial.

Imelda Rios Cuellar

Wife of Rep. Henry Cuellar, indicted with him in a foreign-bribery case

Imelda Rios Cuellar was indicted in 2024 with her husband, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas). Prosecutors alleged the couple accepted at least $598,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-owned energy company and a Mexican bank, laundered through sham consulting contracts into shell companies she owned, CBS News reported. Henry Cuellar has said they were innocent; the case had not gone to trial.

Trump pardoned both in December 2025 after their daughters wrote asking for clemency for their parents (AP). Henry Cuellar said no deal was made with the White House (NBC News). Trump later criticized the congressman for running again as a Democrat and endorsed his Republican opponent (NBC News).

The case

Charged with helping launder foreign bribes through her companies; never tried

Ties to Trump

Spouse of Rep. Henry Cuellar, pardoned in the same case.

Money

No conviction, so no restitution.

Who pushed for it

Her daughters, Christina and Catherine Cuellar, wrote to Trump asking for clemency for their parents (CBS News, AP).

Response

Henry Cuellar said there was no deal (NBC News). Trump later accused him of "such a lack of LOYALTY" for staying a Democrat (AP).

Note: Charged but never tried; the pardon ended the case before trial.

Timothy Joseph Leiweke

Co-founder and former CEO of arena company Oak View Group, charged in a bid-rigging case

Tim Leiweke, a longtime sports and entertainment executive, co-founded Oak View Group. Trump’s own Justice Department indicted him in July 2025, accusing him of conspiring with a competitor to rig bidding for the $375 million Moody Center arena at the University of Texas at Austin, NBC News reported. He pleaded not guilty; OVG agreed to pay $15 million.

Trump pardoned him in December 2025, about five months before his scheduled May 4 trial, according to Sportico, which noted OVG gave $250,000 to Trump’s inauguration in January 2025. CNN reported that former Rep. Trey Gowdy represented Leiweke and had lobbied the Justice Department to drop the case or grant clemency. House Judiciary Democrats call the donation and Gowdy’s role signs of influence (staff report); no link has been shown.

The case

Charged with rigging bids for a university arena contract; never tried

Ties to Trump

Oak View Group donated $250,000 to Trump's 2025 inauguration (Sportico). Former GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy, a Trump ally, represented him and pressed for dismissal or clemency (CNN). A donation is not evidence of a quid pro quo.

Money

Reported political donations: $250,000. The $250,000 inaugural donation was made by his company, Oak View Group, not by Leiweke personally (Sportico). OVG separately agreed to pay $15 million.

Who pushed for it

Former Rep. Trey Gowdy, his lawyer, lobbied the Justice Department to drop the case or grant clemency, a person familiar told CNN.

Response

Leiweke expressed "profound gratitude" to Trump; lawyer David Gerger called it "the right result" (CNN, NBC News). House Judiciary Democrats cited the inaugural donation and Gowdy's role (their claim).

Note: Charged but never tried; the pardon ended the case before trial.

Juan Orlando Hernandez

Former president of Honduras serving 45 years for a U.S. cocaine-trafficking conviction

Juan Orlando Hernández was president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022. A Manhattan jury convicted him in 2024 of drug-trafficking and weapons charges; prosecutors said he protected traffickers moving more than 400 tons of cocaine toward the U.S. in exchange for millions in bribes, and he was sentenced to 45 years and fined $8 million, CNN reported.

Trump announced his plan to pardon him in late November 2025, during Honduras’s presidential election, and signed it Dec. 1; Hernández was freed, the Associated Press reported. Lawmakers in both parties objected, and CNN said Roger Stone was among those who lobbied for it. House Judiciary Democrats also cite ties to backers of the Próspera charter city (staff report). Honduras’s attorney general then asked Interpol to execute a 2023 arrest order (NBC News).

Offense of record

Convicted by a U.S. jury of helping traffickers move cocaine to the U.S.

Ties to Trump

CNN reported that Trump ally Roger Stone lobbied for the pardon. House Judiciary Democrats say Hernández cultivated allies in Trump's orbit (their claim).

Money

The pardon covered an $8 million fine; House Judiciary Democrats also cite a $15.5 million forfeiture (their figure).

Who pushed for it

Roger Stone said he urged Trump in June 2025 to pardon Hernández (CNN). House Judiciary Democrats say Matt Gaetz also lobbied for him (their claim).

Response

Trump said he "looked at the facts" and agreed (AP). Hernández's lawyer thanked Trump "for correcting this injustice." Rep. Norma Torres wrote that "if drug cartels are terrorist organizations, Juan Orlando Hernández is a convicted terrorist and must not go free" (CNN).

Since then

Released from U.S. prison Dec. 1, 2025 (AP). On Dec. 8, 2025 Honduras's attorney general asked Interpol to execute a 2023 arrest order (NBC News/AP).

David Gentile

Former CEO of GPB Capital, convicted of defrauding more than 10,000 investors

David Gentile co-founded and ran private-equity firm GPB Capital Holdings. A federal jury in Brooklyn convicted him in August 2024 of securities and wire fraud in what prosecutors said was a scheme to defraud more than 10,000 investors by misrepresenting fund performance and where monthly distributions came from; the SEC called it a Ponzi-like scheme that raised over $1.7 billion, CNN reported. He was sentenced to seven years.

Trump commuted the sentence after Gentile had served 12 days, NBC News reported, citing the Bureau of Prisons. A White House official disputed the Biden-era case. House Judiciary Democrats allege Father Frank Mann, a priest close to Trump, agreed to a $2.5 million fee to press Gentile’s case and that a prosecutors’ inquiry was closed (staff report); those claims are not independently confirmed.

Offense of record

Misled investors about his funds' performance and how payouts were funded

Ties to Trump

House Judiciary Democrats allege Father Frank Mann agreed to a $2.5 million fee to intercede with Trump; this is their claim and was not independently confirmed in the coverage reviewed.

Money

House Judiciary Democrats say the commutation also wiped out a $15.5 million forfeiture order (their figure).

Who pushed for it

White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson welcomed his release (CNN). House Judiciary Democrats say Father Frank Mann lobbied Trump for him.

Response

A White House official said GPB had "disclosed to investors the possibility of using investor capital to pay some of these distributions" and that the Biden DOJ wrongly called it a Ponzi scheme (NBC News); press secretary Karoline Leavitt repeated that (CNN). A source familiar with New York Attorney General Letitia James's civil case told NBC News the commutation does not change its merits.

Since then

New York Attorney General Letitia James's 2021 civil lawsuit against Gentile remained pending (NBC News).

Note: The claims about Father Frank Mann come from a partisan congressional staff report and are not independently confirmed.

Daniel Edwin Wilson

Louisville man and Jan. 6 participant who stayed in prison on a separate federal gun conviction

Daniel “Dan” Wilson of Louisville, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to conspiring to impede police on Jan. 6, 2021, and to illegally possessing firearms that investigators found at his home during the Jan. 6 investigation; prior felony convictions barred him from having guns, the Associated Press reported. He was sentenced in 2024 to five years.

Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025 mass pardon covered the riot charge but not, by its terms, the gun counts. The Justice Department first said so, then reversed itself, and U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee, criticized that shift, AP and CBS News reported. In November 2025 Trump issued a second pardon naming the gun case, and Wilson, who had been due for release in 2028, was freed. A White House official told AP that agents “should have never been there in the first place.” His lawyer told NBC News he was “elated.”

Offense of record

Kept six guns and ammunition at home despite felony record barring possession

Ties to Trump

Wilson was a Jan. 6 defendant first covered by Trump's Jan. 20, 2025 mass pardon; the second pardon covered the gun charges found during that investigation (AP).

Who pushed for it

His lawyer, George Pallas, welcomed the pardon. No other public advocates were identified in the coverage reviewed.

Response

A White House official said the search of Wilson's home "was due to the events of January 6, and they should have never been there in the first place." Judge Friedrich had earlier called the department's position "extraordinary" (AP). His lawyer said Trump "recognized the injustice in my client's case."

Since then

Released from prison the evening of Nov. 14, 2025, his lawyer said (AP).

Joseph Schwartz

Former nursing-home operator convicted of a $38 million payroll-tax scheme

Joseph Schwartz, who ran a large chain of nursing homes, pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to pay over more than $38 million in employment taxes withheld from workers and to failing to file a required retirement-plan report, CBS News reported. He was sentenced in April 2025 to three years and was pardoned in November 2025, about three months into the term.

Lobbying disclosures show Schwartz paid nearly $1.1 million in 2025 to seek clemency, including $960,000 to JM Burkman & Associates, according to NOTUS. A White House official called his case “an example of over prosecution.” The family of a nursing-home resident who won a wrongful-death judgment against him told CBS the pardon system was “broken.” In March 2026 another lobbyist he paid, Joshua Nass, was charged with attempted extortion; court filings do not name the alleged victims, CNN reported, and Nass has not been convicted.

Offense of record

Withheld workers' payroll taxes from nursing homes and didn't pay them to the IRS

Ties to Trump

Lobbying disclosures show Schwartz paid JM Burkman & Associates $960,000 and Merkava Strategies' Josh Nass $100,000 in 2025 to pursue clemency (NOTUS, CNN).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $5 million. Reported pardon lobbying: $1.1 million. Lobbying total of nearly $1.1 million is from federal disclosures reported by NOTUS. House Judiciary Democrats say he still owed about $33 million in federal taxes; that figure is their claim.

Who pushed for it

Paid lobbyists Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl (JM Burkman & Associates) and Josh Nass. Activist Laura Loomer said she had publicly called the judge in his case biased but denied lobbying (CBS News).

Response

A White House official said the case was "an example of over prosecution" and the sentence "exceptionally harmful to a 65-year-old man already in deteriorating health." Melissa Coulson, whose family won a nearly $19 million wrongful-death judgment against Schwartz, told CBS: "It's about how much you can pay for it."

Since then

March 2026: lobbyist Joshua Nass, whose only 2025 lobbying payment came from Schwartz, was arrested on attempted-extortion charges; filings do not name the alleged victims (CNN). Schwartz also pleaded guilty in Arkansas state court to tax evasion and Medicaid fraud, a state case outside the reach of a federal pardon (CBS News).

Suzanne Kaye

Florida woman sentenced to 18 months for an online video threatening to shoot FBI agents

Suzanne Kaye, a Florida woman, was convicted of making interstate threats after posting a video saying she would use her “second amendment right” to shoot FBI agents if they came to her home, CBS News reported, citing CBS Miami. Agents had contacted her after she said online that she had been at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6; she denied being there. She was sentenced in 2023 to 18 months in prison.

Trump pardoned her in November 2025, the same weekend as Jan. 6 defendant Dan Wilson; DOJ pardon attorney Ed Martin announced it on X, NBC News reported. A White House official called the case “disfavored First Amendment political speech being prosecuted” with “an excessive sentence.”

Offense of record

Posted a video threatening to shoot FBI agents who came to her home

Ties to Trump

Her case grew out of an FBI inquiry into whether she was at the Capitol on Jan. 6; she was convicted of threats, not of Capitol-riot offenses (CBS News).

Who pushed for it

Justice Department pardon attorney Ed Martin publicized the pardon (NBC News). No other advocates were identified.

Response

A White House official described her comments as "voicing her displeasure with the FBI using curt language" and called it "clearly a case of disfavored First Amendment political speech being prosecuted and an excessive sentence" (CBS News).

Note: Coverage of this pardon is brief and mostly folded into reports on Dan Wilson's pardon.

Joseph Lewis

British billionaire whose family trust controls Tottenham Hotspur; pleaded guilty to insider trading

Joe Lewis, a British billionaire whose family trust controls the Tottenham Hotspur soccer club, pleaded guilty in New York in January 2024 to insider trading and conspiracy. Prosecutors said he passed confidential boardroom information to friends, employees and romantic partners from 2019 to 2021 so they could trade on it, the Associated Press reported. He was fined $5 million and spared prison; AP said he and one of his companies also agreed to pay more than $50 million in financial penalties.

Trump pardoned him in November 2025. A White House official told NBC News that Lewis, 88 and living in the Bahamas, wanted the pardon so he could get medical treatment and visit his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the United States. Lewis said he was pleased the case was behind him. No donation or lobbying connection was reported in the coverage reviewed.

Offense of record

Shared inside company information so friends and associates could trade stock

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $400,000. Fined $5 million and, per AP, more than $50 million in total financial penalties with his company Broad Bay; restitution figure is from the DOJ clemency record.

Who pushed for it

Lewis himself requested the pardon, according to a White House official quoted by AP and NBC News.

Response

A White House official told NBC News that Lewis "admitted he made a terrible mistake, did not fight extradition in the case, and paid a $5 million fine." Lewis said: "I am pleased all of this is now behind me, and I can enjoy retirement."

Cade Cothren

Former chief of staff to Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada, convicted in a 2025 corruption trial

Cade Cothren was chief of staff to Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada until 2019, when both left their posts amid a scandal over text messages. Prosecutors said Cothren then launched Phoenix Solutions, a political mail vendor, with the knowledge and support of Casada and another lawmaker, and that the three claimed it was run by a “Matthew Phoenix,” later found to be fictitious, the AP reported. A jury convicted him of conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, money laundering and related counts, and he was sentenced in September 2025 to 30 months in prison. Trump pardoned him and Casada that November; a White House official told NBC News the Biden Justice Department had “significantly over-prosecuted” a “minor issue.” Tennessee’s Republican House and Senate speakers opposed the pardons, Local 3 News reported. The former lawmaker who testified against the pair later had her prison term cut to probation (AP).

Offense of record

Hid his role, under a fake name, in a firm paid for lawmakers' mailers

Money

His sentence included a $25,000 fine (DOJ). A White House official told NBC News the scheme caused "a net profit loss of less than $5,000."

Who pushed for it

No public advocates found; a White House official defended the pardon to NBC News and the AP.

Response

A White House official told NBC News that the Biden Justice Department "significantly over-prosecuted these individuals for a minor issue involving constituent mailers." Tennessee Senate Speaker Randy McNally said the pardons were not correct, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton agreed, Local 3 News reported, citing the Tennessee Lookout. Republican state Sen. Todd Gardenhire said the pardon "might be merciful, but it is not good for our system of justice."

Since then

Jan. 5, 2026: A federal judge reduced the eight-month prison sentence of former state Rep. Robin Smith, who had testified against Casada and Cothren, to probation. The U.S. Attorney's Office said it knew of no other case where a testifying conspirator went to prison after an equally culpable one was pardoned (AP).

Darryl Strawberry, Sr.

Former New York Mets and Yankees star and "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant

Darryl Strawberry, a three-time World Series champion and eight-time All-Star who played for the Mets and Yankees, pleaded guilty in 1995 to one count of income tax evasion and was sentenced to probation with six months’ home confinement. Trump pardoned him on Nov. 7, 2025. A White House official said Strawberry “served time and paid back taxes” and cited his sobriety, his Christian faith and his work to start a recovery center in Florida, CNN reported. Strawberry wrote on Instagram that Trump called him with the news. He is the second former “Celebrity Apprentice” contestant Trump has pardoned, after Rod Blagojevich. In 2018 CNN noted that Strawberry was an “Apprentice” alumnus with a federal conviction and had called Trump a “great man” on Fox News. He separately served 11 months of an 18-month state sentence imposed in 2002 for a probation violation, CNN reported.

Offense of record

Pleaded guilty in 1995 to evading federal income taxes

Ties to Trump

Strawberry was a contestant on Trump's reality show "The Celebrity Apprentice" (CNN) and praised Trump in a Fox News interview, CNN reported in 2018.

Money

A White House official said he paid back the taxes owed (CNN).

Response

Strawberry wrote on Instagram that Trump "told me he was granting me a full pardon from my past" and that he was "overwhelmed with gratitude" (CNN). A White House official cited his sobriety, faith and recovery work.

Glen Casada

Former Republican speaker of the Tennessee House, convicted in a 2025 public corruption trial

Glen Casada was speaker of the Tennessee House until he resigned in 2019 after a no-confidence vote by fellow Republicans. Prosecutors said he and former aide Cade Cothren then helped a mail vendor, Phoenix Solutions, win taxpayer-funded constituent-mail work while claiming it was run by a fictitious “Matthew Phoenix.” Companies controlled by Casada and another lawmaker received roughly $52,000, the AP reported. A jury convicted him of charges including honest services wire fraud and money laundering, and he was sentenced in September 2025 to 36 months. Trump pardoned him that November; Casada said the president called him personally, NBC News reported. Tennessee’s Republican legislative leaders said the pardons were wrong (Local 3 News). Robin Smith, the former lawmaker who testified against Casada, had her own prison term cut to probation in January 2026 (AP).

Offense of record

Helped a secretly run firm win taxpayer-funded mailer work from lawmakers

Ties to Trump

Former Republican speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Money

Local 3 News reported a $30,000 fine was part of his sentence. A White House official told NBC News the scheme caused "a net profit loss of less than $5,000."

Who pushed for it

No public advocates found; a White House official defended the pardon to NBC News and the AP.

Response

Casada told WSMV: "Yes the president called me today and granted me a full pardon. I am grateful of his trust and his full confidence in my innocence through this whole ordeal." A White House official said the Biden Justice Department "significantly over-prosecuted" the case (NBC News). Tennessee Senate Speaker Randy McNally said the pardons were not correct; House Speaker Cameron Sexton agreed (Local 3 News).

Since then

Jan. 5, 2026: A judge reduced cooperating witness Robin Smith's prison sentence to probation after Casada and Cothren were pardoned; Smith said she was still seeking a pardon (AP).

Michael McMahon

Retired NYPD sergeant convicted of stalking a family on behalf of China's government

Michael McMahon, a retired New York police sergeant working as a private investigator, was convicted in 2023 of acting as an illegal agent of China and of conspiracy and stalking charges, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Prosecutors said he and two others spent years harassing and surveilling a former Chinese official and his family in New Jersey to pressure him to return to China, part of Beijing’s “Operation Fox Hunt,” CNN reported.

Trump pardoned him on Nov. 7, 2025. A White House official said McMahon believed he was investigating an embezzler, praised his 75 police commendations and 9/11 service, and said his trial “had issues” with undisclosed interviews and witnesses, per CNN. CNN and the AP both noted the pardon of an officer convicted of helping China.

Offense of record

Helped China's government harass a former Chinese official's family in the U.S.

Ties to Trump

Retired NYPD sergeant; the White House cited his police record and 9/11 service.

Money

His sentence included an $11,000 fine, per the Justice Department.

Response

A White House official said McMahon was told he was investigating an embezzler, that "the people who had hired him were actually Chinese spies," and that his investigation and trial "had issues" (CNN).

Michelino Sunseri

Trail runner convicted of a misdemeanor for cutting a switchback in Grand Teton National Park

Michelino Sunseri, a mountain runner from Idaho, ran up and down the Grand Teton in a record time on Sept. 2, 2024, but took a closed shortcut on the descent, and his record was disallowed. A federal magistrate judge found him guilty in September 2025 of leaving a designated trail, a misdemeanor, Outside reported. He was backed by the Pacific Legal Foundation and Reps. Harriet Hageman and Andy Biggs, who criticized the prosecution; in October the judge questioned a lenient deal approved by Wyoming’s new U.S. attorney, WyoFile reported.

Trump pardoned him on Nov. 7, 2025. His lawyer, Michael Poon, said “nobody expects a pardon” and that the foundation’s Washington representatives had advocated for Sunseri with administration officials, though no one spoke directly with the president, Outside reported.

Offense of record

Took a closed shortcut trail during a speed run in Grand Teton National Park

Ties to Trump

Well-known ultra and mountain runner.

Who pushed for it

Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented him pro bono and whose Washington representatives advocated with administration officials (Outside); Reps. Harriet Hageman and Andy Biggs criticized the prosecution (WyoFile).

Response

Poon: "Michelino is pleased, of course, but nobody expects a pardon" (Outside). Before the pardon, Magistrate Judge Stephanie Hambrick criticized the proposed deal, saying, "If you whine and cry hard enough, you get your way" (WyoFile).

Robert Henry Harshbarger, Jr.

Former pharmacist and husband of Rep. Diana Harshbarger, convicted over an unapproved dialysis drug

Robert Harshbarger Jr. was a licensed pharmacist when he admitted in 2013 to substituting a cheaper drug imported from China, not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, for an FDA-approved iron drug used by kidney dialysis patients. He pleaded guilty to distributing a misbranded drug and health care fraud and served four years in prison, the AP reported. Prosecutors said that although no patients were reported harmed, the substitution still put them at risk.

Trump pardoned him on Nov. 7, 2025. He is the husband of Rep. Diana Harshbarger, a Tennessee Republican and Trump supporter whom Trump endorsed for re-election days earlier. A White House official said he was a victim of “excessive prosecution” and that no patients were alleged to have been harmed. The congresswoman was not in Congress when he pleaded guilty, and her office did not immediately comment, the AP reported.

Offense of record

Substituted an unapproved Chinese-made drug for an FDA-approved dialysis drug

Ties to Trump

Husband of Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), a Trump supporter whom Trump endorsed for 2026 re-election on Nov. 3, 2025, per AP.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $848,504. He was also ordered to pay a fine and forfeit $425,000 in cash, per AP.

Response

A White House official said he was a victim of "excessive prosecution" and described the substitution as a form of compounding (AP). Rep. Harshbarger's office did not immediately respond to AP.

Note: Profile rests on a single AP report (via the Boston Globe) plus the Justice Department grant record.

Changpeng Zhao

Billionaire founder of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange

Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, founded Binance. He pleaded guilty in November 2023 to failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program and served four months in prison; AP reported the failure let criminals move money tied to child sex abuse, drug trafficking and terrorism. Trump pardoned him in October 2025. AP reported that Zhao has ties to World Liberty Financial, the Trump family crypto venture, and that a UAE fund used $2 billion of its USD1 stablecoin to buy a stake in Binance. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there were “no allegations of fraud or identifiable victims.” CBS News reported that lobbyist Ches McDowell, who is close to Donald Trump Jr., helped secure the pardon. Trump later said, “I don’t know who he is,” CNN reported. Binance’s CEO denied the exchange boosted USD1 before the pardon (CNBC).

Offense of record

Failed to keep an effective anti-money-laundering program at Binance

Ties to Trump

AP reported Zhao has ties to World Liberty Financial, the Trump family crypto venture, and that an Emirati fund used $2 billion of its USD1 stablecoin to buy a stake in Binance. CBS News reported lobbyist Ches McDowell helped secure the pardon. Binance has denied promoting USD1 before the pardon; Trump said he did not know Zhao.

Money

Zhao paid a $50 million fine (DOJ). The $2 billion MGX investment in Binance was settled in USD1 (AP, CNBC); Trump reported more than $57 million in 2024 income from World Liberty Financial (AP).

Who pushed for it

Zhao publicly said he had asked Trump for a pardon (AP). Lobbyist Ches McDowell helped secure it (CBS News).

Response

Leavitt said the Biden administration acted out of a "desire to punish the cryptocurrency industry." Trump: "I don't know who he is… I heard it was a Biden witch hunt" (CNN). Sen. Elizabeth Warren accused Binance and the administration of corruption (CNBC). Binance CEO Richard Teng denied giving USD1 preferential treatment (CNBC).

George Anthony Devolder Santos

Former Republican congressman from New York, expelled from the House in 2023

George Santos was elected to Congress from Long Island in 2022 and expelled in December 2023 after an indictment on fraud charges, NPR reported. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced in April 2025 to 87 months. Trump commuted the sentence on October 17, 2025, about three months in, writing that Santos was “somewhat of a ‘rogue'” but should not serve seven years. CBS New York reported that the commutation also erased his $373,000 restitution obligation, money he admitted taking partly from donors, and that former constituents objected. Santos apologized on CNN. In June 2026 NPR reported, citing people familiar, that DOJ and the CFTC were investigating his trades on Kalshi; he called the accusation “preposterous.”

Offense of record

Pleaded guilty to defrauding donors and to aggravated identity theft

Ties to Trump

Former Republican member of Congress; Trump defended him in a Truth Social post when commuting the sentence (NPR).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $373,750. The commutation erased about $373,000 in restitution; sources told CBS New York he had repaid none of it.

Response

Santos: "I'm so sorry to the American people" (on CNN, per CBS New York). He said he will not pay restitution unless the law requires it. Constituents and a veteran who says Santos took money from a fundraiser for his dog criticized the decision (CBS New York).

Since then

In June 2026 NPR reported DOJ and CFTC investigations into alleged insider trading by Santos on the Kalshi prediction market, citing people familiar; Santos called the accusation "preposterous."

Imaad Shah Zuberi

California venture capitalist and major political donor, including to Trump's 2017 inauguration

Imaad Zuberi, a venture capitalist, was sentenced in 2021 to 12 years for violating lobbying, campaign finance and tax laws and obstructing an investigation into Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee, The New York Times reported. He admitted hiding lobbying work for Sri Lanka and making illegal donations, some foreign-funded. Once a major Democratic donor, he gave more than $1.1 million to committees tied to Trump and the Republican Party after the 2016 election, the Times reported. Trump commuted his sentence on May 28, 2025. The Times noted that David Warrington, now White House counsel, had represented Zuberi; a White House official said Warrington recused himself. A second commutation warrant, dated October 1, 2025, covers both of his criminal cases and cancels further fines and restitution. CNN also reported the commutation.

Offense of record

Hid foreign lobbying, made illegal donations, evaded taxes and obstructed an investigation

Ties to Trump

The New York Times reported he gave more than $1.1 million to Trump- and GOP-linked committees in the three months after the 2016 election, including a $900,000 donation to the inaugural committee whose source he later admitted obstructing an investigation into. A donation is not evidence the clemency was exchanged for it.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $15.7 million. Reported political donations: $1.1 million. He was ordered to pay nearly $16 million in restitution and $1.75 million in fines (NYT); the October 2025 warrant commutes with "no further fines, restitution, probation, or other conditions."

Who pushed for it

Not publicly identified. His former lawyer David Warrington is White House counsel; a White House official said Warrington recused himself (NYT).

Response

A senior White House official said Warrington recused himself from deliberations (NYT). No further public statement found.

Since then

A second commutation warrant dated October 1, 2025 lists both of his federal cases (DOJ).

Jeremy Young Hutchinson

Former Republican Arkansas state senator from a prominent political family

Jeremy Hutchinson served in the Arkansas House and Senate and resigned in 2018 after a federal indictment. He is the son of former U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson and nephew of former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, the Benton Courier reported. Under a plea deal covering cases in Arkansas and Missouri, he admitted pushing legislation for a person who paid him as outside counsel, taking more than $10,000 in campaign funds for personal use and filing a false tax return, the paper reported, citing the Justice Department. In 2023 a judge sentenced him to 46 months and ordered $224,497.10 paid to Arkansas and $131,038 to the IRS, the Arkansas Times reported. Trump pardoned him on May 29, 2025. CNN reported the pardon; no White House explanation was found.

Offense of record

Took payments to push legislation, misused campaign funds and filed false tax returns

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $355,535. Ordered to pay $224,497.10 to the state of Arkansas and $131,038 to the IRS (Arkansas Times).

Response

No public statement from Hutchinson or the White House was found.

Alexander Sittenfeld

Former Democratic Cincinnati City Council member known as P.G. Sittenfeld

Alexander “P.G.” Sittenfeld, a Democrat once seen as a likely future Cincinnati mayor, was convicted in 2022 of bribery and attempted extortion for accepting $20,000 in campaign donations from undercover FBI agents posing as developers, WVXU reported. Recordings captured him saying he could “deliver the votes” on a downtown project. He maintained the donations were legal. He served about four and a half months of a 16-month sentence before being freed pending appeal; an appeals court upheld the conviction. Trump pardoned him on May 28, 2025. WCPO reported that a Cincinnati council member said he “did not see him pardoning a democratic council member.” WCPO later reported he held $926,230 in campaign and PAC accounts and could run for office again.

Offense of record

Took campaign donations from undercover agents in exchange for promised votes

Money

Cincinnati had asked him to repay $82,783.15 in salary and benefits earned while suspended; the city solicitor told WVXU he had not repaid it and the pardon likely means he does not have to. DOJ records a $40,000 fine.

Response

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine declined to comment (WCPO). Law professor Ken Katkin told WCPO, "A pardon is an act of mercy; it's not an act of justice." Sittenfeld did not return requests for comment.

Since then

WCPO reported in 2025 that he retained $926,230 in his mayoral campaign account and federal PAC.

James M. Kernan

Former president of Oriska Insurance Company in Oriskany, New York

James Kernan, a lawyer and engineer, was president of Oriska Insurance Company near Utica, New York. He and his wife, Marlene, pleaded guilty in 2009 to employing a three-time convicted felon at their companies from 2002 to 2005, the Observer-Dispatch reported. In 2010 a judge sentenced him to five years of probation, 400 hours of community service and a $250,000 fine, rejecting the 30-month prison term prosecutors sought; the judge noted the case involved no financial loss. A prosecutor wrote that Kernan “ignored and skirted statutes and regulations” meant to keep insurers solvent. Trump pardoned the couple on May 28, 2025, in a batch that CNN reported. No public explanation or advocate was found.

Offense of record

Knowingly let a convicted felon work in his insurance business

Money

Fined $250,000 in 2010 (Observer-Dispatch; DOJ).

Response

No public statement from the Kernans, the White House or prosecutors on the pardon was found.

Note: Little coverage of the pardon itself; the case background comes from 2010 local reporting.

John G. Rowland

Former three-term Republican governor of Connecticut, convicted in two federal cases

John Rowland, a Republican, was elected governor of Connecticut three times and resigned in 2004 amid an FBI investigation. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy for accepting more than $100,000 in gifts from contractors and business executives and not paying taxes on them, and served about 10 months, the Hartford Courant reported. In a second case, a jury convicted him on seven counts in a campaign finance case tied to a 2012 Republican congressional primary, and he was sentenced to 30 months. Trump pardoned him on May 28, 2025, AP reported. Rowland told the Courant he was “deeply humbled and appreciative.” Former Democratic state Rep. Michael Lawlor told the paper Trump was “the least credible person in the country” to remove the stain Rowland left.

Offense of record

Took gifts from state contractors; later hid his role in a congressional campaign

Money

DOJ records fines of $82,000 (2005) and $35,000 (2015).

Response

Rowland: "I am deeply humbled and appreciative… This is a wonderful final resolution." Former state Rep. Michael Lawlor (D) criticized both Rowland and Trump (Hartford Courant).

Julie Chrisley

Reality TV star of "Chrisley Knows Best," convicted with her husband of bank fraud and tax evasion

Julie Chrisley and her husband Todd starred in “Chrisley Knows Best,” a reality show about their family. In 2022 they were convicted of conspiring to defraud Atlanta-area banks out of more than $30 million in loans using false documents, and of tax evasion, AP reported. She was sentenced to seven years; an appeals court ordered her resentenced after finding an error in how her sentence was calculated. Their daughter Savannah spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention about her parents’ case. Trump called Savannah to tell her he would pardon them, and the pardons were signed May 28, 2025; both were released that day, ABC News reported. Savannah said a new reality series was in the works.

Offense of record

Used false documents to obtain bank loans and hid income from the IRS

Ties to Trump

Pardoned alongside her husband, Todd Chrisley. Their daughter Savannah Chrisley spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention and appealed to the Trump administration for the pardons (ABC News, AP).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $4.7 million. The couple was ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution (AP, ABC); DOJ lists $4,740,645.04 for Julie as amended in 2024.

Who pushed for it

Daughter Savannah Chrisley, who spoke at the 2024 RNC (AP, ABC). Pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson was in the Oval Office for Trump's call to Savannah (AP).

Response

Family lawyer Alex Little said the pardon "corrects a deep injustice." Prosecutors had described a "fifteen-year fraud spree" in their sentencing memo (ABC News).

Since then

Released from prison May 28, 2025; Savannah Chrisley said a new Lifetime reality series was in the works (ABC News).

Larry Hoover

Co-founder of Chicago's Gangster Disciples street gang, serving a federal life sentence

Larry Hoover co-founded the Gangster Disciples in the late 1960s. He was convicted of a 1973 murder in Illinois and sentenced to 150 to 200 years, and kept running the gang from prison, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. A federal jury convicted him in 1997 of running a continuing criminal enterprise; he received a life sentence. He had sought relief for years under the First Step Act. Rapper Kanye West urged Trump in a 2018 Oval Office meeting to commute his sentence. Trump commuted the federal sentence on May 28, 2025. Hoover still faces his state murder sentence, CNN reported. Ron Safer, the former federal prosecutor who led the case, called the commutation an “injustice,” per the Sun-Times. The Chicago Tribune reported he appeared in state prison records afterward.

Offense of record

Ran a large drug-trafficking gang enterprise, including from prison

Who pushed for it

Kanye West urged Trump to commute the sentence in 2018 (Sun-Times); attorneys Justin Moore and Jennifer Bonjean pursued his release (Sun-Times, Tribune).

Response

Former prosecutor Ron Safer said he did not "understand why Hoover, among all of the people in federal custody, is worthy of this result" (Sun-Times). Attorney Justin Moore: "Now it's time for the State of Illinois to finish the job."

Since then

Remains subject to his Illinois murder sentence; his lawyers asked Gov. JB Pritzker for clemency (Sun-Times, CNN, May 2025). The Tribune reported state records listed him at Dixon Correctional Center.

Lawrence S. Duran

Former executive of American Therapeutic Corp., a Miami mental-health company

Lawrence Duran was an executive of American Therapeutic Corporation, a Miami mental-health company at the center of what the Justice Department called one of the largest schemes ever prosecuted by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force; prosecutors said the company submitted more than $200 million in fraudulent claims, CBS Miami reported in covering a co-defendant. The Tampa Bay Times identified Duran among the company’s executives. He was sentenced in 2011 for health care fraud, kickback, money laundering and structuring charges and sentenced to 50 years, according to DOJ records. Trump commuted his sentence on May 28, 2025, CNN reported. Trump had commuted the 35-year sentence of co-defendant Judith Negron in 2020.

Offense of record

Took part in a Medicare billing fraud scheme and laundered the proceeds

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $87.5 million. DOJ records $87,533,863.46 in restitution. Whether the commutation affects it was not reported.

Response

No public statement about the commutation was found.

Note: Little coverage of this commutation; the case background comes from 2020 reporting on co-defendant Judith Negron and DOJ grant records.

Marlene Mary Kernan

Former president of Monument Agency, an insurance agency in Oriskany, New York

Marlene Kernan was president of Monument Agency, which acted as agent for her husband James Kernan’s Oriska Insurance Company near Utica, New York. Both pleaded guilty in 2009 to employing a three-time convicted felon at their companies, the Observer-Dispatch reported. In 2010 she was sentenced to two years of probation and a $182,708 fine; prosecutors agreed her role was “very limited” but said she knew of the employee’s criminal past. Trump pardoned her and her husband on May 28, 2025, CNN reported. No public explanation from the White House, and no public advocate for the pardon, was found.

Offense of record

Let a convicted felon work in the family insurance business

Ties to Trump

Pardoned the same day as her husband, James M. Kernan, for the same case (CNN).

Money

Fined $182,708 in 2010 (Observer-Dispatch; DOJ).

Response

No public statement on the pardon was found.

Note: Little coverage of the pardon itself; the case background comes from 2010 local reporting. "family-or-associate" here means she was pardoned alongside her husband, not a tie to Trump.

Michael Gerard Grimm

Former Republican congressman from Staten Island and later a Newsmax commentator

Michael Grimm, a New York Republican, won reelection to Congress in 2014 while under indictment for underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he ran, then resigned after pleading guilty to a tax charge, AP reported. He served about eight months in prison. CNN noted he is also remembered for threatening on camera in 2014 to break a reporter “in half,” and that he later worked as an on-air personality for Newsmax. He was paralyzed from the chest down in a 2024 polo accident, AP reported. Trump pardoned him on May 28, 2025, as part of a batch that also included former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland and other politicians. No public explanation from the White House was found.

Offense of record

Helped file false tax returns that hid restaurant wages and revenue

Ties to Trump

Former Republican member of Congress and Newsmax commentator (CNN).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $148,907. DOJ records $148,907.11 in restitution.

Response

No public White House rationale was found.

Note: Reports differ slightly on time served: AP says eight months, CNN seven.

Todd Chrisley

Reality TV star of "Chrisley Knows Best," convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion

Todd Chrisley, a real estate developer, starred with his wife Julie in “Chrisley Knows Best.” In 2022 they were convicted of conspiring to defraud Atlanta-area banks out of more than $30 million in loans using false documents, and of tax crimes, AP reported. He was sentenced to 12 years. AP reported he was accused of filing for bankruptcy and walking away from more than $20 million in unpaid loans. Their daughter Savannah spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, saying her parents were “persecuted by rogue prosecutors.” Trump told her in a call, “Your parents are going to be free and clean.” The pardons were signed May 28, 2025, and the couple was released that day, ABC News reported. CNN also reported the pardons.

Offense of record

Used false documents to obtain bank loans and hid income from the IRS

Ties to Trump

Pardoned alongside his wife, Julie Chrisley. Their daughter Savannah Chrisley spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention (AP).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $17.3 million. The couple was ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution (AP, ABC); DOJ lists $17,270,741.57 for Todd.

Who pushed for it

Daughter Savannah Chrisley (AP, ABC). Pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson was present for Trump's call to Savannah (AP).

Response

Lawyer Alex Little: "Todd and Julie's case is exactly why the pardon power exists." Prosecutors had called the couple's conduct a "fifteen-year fraud spree" (ABC News).

Since then

Released May 28, 2025; Savannah Chrisley said a new Lifetime reality series was in the works (ABC News).

James Callahan

Former general president of the International Union of Operating Engineers

James Callahan led the International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents nearly 400,000 heavy-equipment operators. He pleaded guilty in January 2025 to filing false annual reports with the Labor Department after failing to report at least $315,000 in sports and concert tickets and other amenities from a company the union used to place ads, the Associated Press reported. Prosecutors had asked for six months in prison. Trump pardoned him on May 27, 2025, the day before sentencing. The White House did not explain the pardon; Callahan’s union had endorsed Joe Biden over Trump in 2023, AP noted. At the hearing, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said she was “quite disappointed” and that she would have sentenced him to at least 500 hours of community service. CNN listed him among a wave of late-May pardons.

Offense of record

Failed to report $315,000 in gifts on required union financial reports

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $315,000. His plea deal required him to repay the union $315,000 for the tickets, per AP. No reporting found on whether the full and unconditional pardon changed that obligation.

Who pushed for it

Not publicly known. His lawyer, David Schertler, declined to tell the judge whether Callahan applied for the pardon, per AP.

Response

Judge Ana Reyes said she was "quite disappointed" and told Callahan he was not pardoned because the law was unfair to him. His lawyer said Callahan is "extremely grateful for President Trump's consideration and pardon." The White House did not explain the decision (AP).

Since then

The judge held the sentence in abeyance pending a government motion to dismiss the case (AP, May 2025).

Scott Howard Jenkins

Former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, and a vocal Trump supporter

Scott Jenkins served three terms as sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia. A federal jury convicted him in December 2024 of conspiracy, honest services fraud and bribery; prosecutors said he took more than $75,000 in a “cash for badges” scheme, making businessmen auxiliary deputies, WTOP reported. Two of those deputies were undercover FBI agents. He was sentenced to 10 years. Trump announced the pardon on May 26, 2025, calling Jenkins “a victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice,” AP reported. NPR reported that Roger Stone said he and others urged the pardon, and that many Culpeper residents, including Trump voters, objected. NBC News reported that pardon attorney Ed Martin welcomed it, writing “No MAGA left behind.”

Offense of record

Took cash payments in exchange for appointing auxiliary deputies

Ties to Trump

CBS News justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane told WTOP that Jenkins was "a longtime, vocal supporter of President Trump" and a campaign surrogate in Virginia; AP called him one of several "loyal supporters" Trump has pardoned.

Money

Prosecutors said the scheme involved more than $75,000 in cash and campaign contributions (WTOP, NPR). DOJ records a $600 fine.

Who pushed for it

Roger Stone said on his podcast that he and others urged Trump to pardon Jenkins (NPR). Pardon attorney Ed Martin publicly praised the pardon (NBC News).

Response

Trump said Jenkins and his family were "dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden DOJ." Former DOJ official Stacey Young told NBC News that pardoning "a sheriff who took cash for deputy badges" undermines accountability. Residents of Culpeper, which voted for Trump, told NPR the pardon was a mistake.

Since then

The pardon came the day before Jenkins was due to report to prison; he had appealed his conviction in April 2025 (AP).

Michele Fiore

Former Las Vegas city councilwoman and Nevada judge convicted of wire fraud over a police memorial fund

Fiore, a Republican former Las Vegas councilwoman and state assemblywoman, was convicted in 2024 of conspiracy and six counts of wire fraud. Prosecutors said she solicited donations for a statue honoring slain Las Vegas police officer Alyn Beck and used the money for personal costs, including rent and plastic surgery, The Nevada Independent reported.

Trump pardoned her on April 23, 2025, before sentencing; the AP counted her among loyal supporters he pardoned. The White House said she was targeted for her “outspoken conservative views.” Fiore, then a Nye County justice of the peace, said she would return to the bench. In May 2025 the state judicial discipline commission suspended her with pay instead, saying her return posed “a substantial threat of serious harm,” The Nevada Independent reported. House Judiciary Democrats wrote in 2026 that she has not repaid donors (staff report).

Offense of record

Spent donations meant for a fallen officer's statue on herself

Ties to Trump

Fiore, once dubbed "Lady Trump," is a Republican politician (Nevada Independent); the AP described the pardon as one of several Trump gave to loyal supporters.

Money

House Judiciary Democrats said she spent $70,000 of the funds on rent, cosmetic surgery and her daughter's wedding.

Response

Fiore: "Today, I stand before you – not just as a free woman, but as a vindicated soul" (Nevada Independent). The White House said she was targeted over her conservative views. Fiore called the later suspension "retaliation."

Since then

On May 19, 2025, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline imposed an interim suspension with pay, citing additional complaints (Nevada Independent).

Note: Later Nevada Supreme Court rulings on her suspension were reported but we could not load that coverage; status after mid-2025 is not covered here.

Paul Walczak

Former Florida nursing-home executive who pleaded guilty to payroll-tax crimes

Walczak, a former nursing-home executive, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to two tax counts. Prosecutors said he withheld more than $10 million from employees’ paychecks for taxes but used some of it on a $2 million yacht, travel and luxury shopping, The New York Times reported (republished by the Boston Globe).

His pardon application stressed the political work of his mother, Elizabeth Fago, a Republican fundraiser. The Times reported that Fago was invited to a $1-million-per-person Mar-a-Lago fundraiser and that Trump signed the pardon less than three weeks after she attended, sparing Walczak an 18-month sentence imposed 12 days earlier and nearly $4.4 million in restitution. A White House official said he was “targeted by the Biden administration over his family’s conservative politics.” NBC News noted his mother’s fundraising for Trump. House Judiciary Democrats cited the case in a 2026 staff report.

Offense of record

Kept employees' withheld payroll taxes instead of paying the IRS

Ties to Trump

His mother, Elizabeth Fago, raised millions for Trump's campaigns and was invited to a $1-million-per-person Mar-a-Lago dinner weeks before the pardon (NYT via Boston Globe). It is unclear whether she paid that sum. A donation is not evidence of a quid pro quo.

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $4.4 million. Restitution of nearly $4.4 million erased by the pardon (NYT via Boston Globe; DOJ record).

Who pushed for it

His mother, Elizabeth Fago, and his own pardon application, which argued he was prosecuted over her politics (NYT via Boston Globe).

Response

A White House official told the Times he was "targeted by the Biden administration over his family's conservative politics." The sentencing judge had said there "is not a get-out-of-jail-free card" for the rich (NYT via Boston Globe).

Carlos Roy Watson

Founder and CEO of Ozy Media, convicted of defrauding the start-up's investors and lenders

Watson, a former cable-news host, founded Ozy Media. The company shut down in 2021 after The New York Times reported that its operating chief had impersonated a YouTube executive on a call with Goldman Sachs. A Brooklyn jury convicted Watson in 2024 of securities and wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft; prosecutors said he inflated revenue and claimed deals that were not final, CBS News reported. He was sentenced to 116 months.

Trump commuted the sentence on March 28, 2025, hours before Watson was due to report to prison, removing about $60 million in forfeiture and more than $36 million in restitution, CNBC reported. A 2026 House Judiciary Democratic staff report said Alan Dershowitz addressed White House questions about the case and Steve Bannon agreed to be a reference. Watson had called his prosecution “a modern lynching.”

Offense of record

Lied to investors and lenders about Ozy Media's finances and deals

Ties to Trump

Criminal-justice reform advocate Glenn Martin celebrated the commutation and credited Alice Marie Johnson's advocacy (CNBC).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $36.8 million. CNBC reported the commutation removed nearly $60 million in forfeiture and more than $36 million in restitution, owed jointly with Ozy Media. House Democrats said none had been paid.

Who pushed for it

Glenn Martin and Alice Marie Johnson (CNBC). House Judiciary Democrats said lawyer Arthur Aidala worked with Alan Dershowitz, Steve Bannon agreed to be a reference and Angela Stanton King called herself a "serious advocate."

Response

Former U.S. Attorney Breon Peace had called Watson "a con man who told lie upon lie upon lie" (CBS News). Watson called the case "a modern lynching" and said he was a victim of "selective prosecution" (CBS News). Prosecutors declined to comment on the commutation (CNBC).

Since then

House Judiciary Democrats said that months later the administration closed the government's remaining civil fraud case against Ozy Media.

Note: This is a commutation: Watson's conviction stands.

Jason Galanis

Financier serving time for fraud schemes, including tribal bonds; testified against Hunter Biden

Galanis was sentenced in 2020 to 189 months in prison for multiple fraud schemes, including defrauding the Oglala Sioux Nation in a $60 million tribal-bond scheme and manipulating the market for a publicly traded company, KOTA-TV and UPI reported. Devon Archer was convicted in the same bond scheme.

Galanis, once a Hunter Biden business partner, testified from prison in 2024 to House Republicans seeking to impeach Joe Biden, UPI reported. Trump commuted his sentence to time served on March 28, 2025, with no further fines or restitution, KOTA reported. House Judiciary Democrats called him a “con man,” UPI reported. In a 2026 staff report they said a court denied his later request to recover $2 million he had already paid toward restitution. Signal Ohio listed him among fraud convicts Trump spared.

Offense of record

Ran investment frauds, including selling bogus bonds tied to a Sioux tribal company

Ties to Trump

Galanis was a witness for House Republicans investigating Hunter Biden and his father (UPI, KOTA).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $84.8 million. Combined restitution in his two cases per the DOJ clemency record ($37.0M + $47.8M). KOTA reported he was also ordered to forfeit nearly $90 million.

Response

House Judiciary Democrats on X: "In the gangster state, all that matters is loyalty to the boss" (UPI).

Since then

Released in late March 2025. House Judiciary Democrats said a federal court denied his petition to recover $2 million he had already advanced to victims.

Note: This is a commutation: Galanis's convictions stand.

Ozy Media, Inc.

Defunct digital-media start-up convicted with its founder of defrauding investors

Ozy Media was a Mountain View, California, company founded in 2012 that produced TV shows, newsletters, podcasts and a festival. It shut down in fall 2021 after a New York Times column raised questions about its audience claims, CBS News reported. The company and founder Carlos Watson were convicted in 2024 of securities and wire fraud conspiracy; the company was sentenced to one year of probation.

On March 28, 2025, Trump commuted the company’s probation as well as Watson’s prison term, CNBC reported. CNBC said the action removed the criminal penalties, including a joint order to pay almost $60 million in forfeiture and more than $36 million in restitution. House Judiciary Democrats wrote in a 2026 staff report that investors “will never be repaid” and that the administration later closed a remaining civil fraud case against the company.

Offense of record

Company lied to investors and lenders about its finances and deals

Ties to Trump

The commutation was part of the Watson clemency that reform advocates Glenn Martin and Alice Marie Johnson championed (CNBC).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $36.8 million. Restitution owed jointly with Carlos Watson, per the DOJ clemency record and CNBC.

Who pushed for it

See Carlos Watson: Glenn Martin and Alice Marie Johnson (CNBC).

Response

Former U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said Ozy "collapsed under the weight of Watson's dishonest schemes" (CBS News).

Since then

House Judiciary Democrats said the administration later closed the government's remaining civil fraud case against Ozy Media.

Arthur Hayes

Co-founder and former CEO of crypto exchange BitMEX who pleaded guilty to anti-money-laundering failures

Hayes co-founded BitMEX, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange, in 2014 and was its CEO. He pleaded guilty in 2022 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to maintain anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer programs. Prosecutors said the exchange operated as a “money laundering platform,” CNBC reported. He was sentenced to two years of probation, the first six months in home detention, and agreed to pay a $10 million fine, USA Today reported; prosecutors had argued for tougher sentences.

Trump pardoned Hayes, co-founders Benjamin Delo and Samuel Reed, and ex-employee Gregory Dwyer on March 27, 2025, without announcing it. Hayes posted “Thank you POTUS.” Trump also pardoned the company itself. In July 2026 BitMEX said it would close, CNBC reported.

Offense of record

Ran a crypto exchange without required anti-money-laundering controls

Money

Hayes agreed to pay a $10 million fine, per USA Today; CNBC described the founders' $30 million in total as civil fines tied to a CFTC lawsuit.

Response

Hayes wrote "Thank you POTUS" on social media (CNBC). Former U.S. Attorney Damian Williams had said the founders "allowed BitMEX to operate as a platform in the shadows of the financial markets" (USA Today).

Since then

BitMEX's operator HDR Global Trading said in July 2026 it would shut the exchange down effective Sept. 23, 2026 (Reuters via CNBC).

Benjamin Delo

BitMEX co-founder and former operating chief who pleaded guilty to anti-money-laundering failures

Delo, a co-founder and former chief operating officer of the BitMEX cryptocurrency exchange, pleaded guilty in 2022 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to maintain anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer programs. He was sentenced to 30 months of probation and agreed to pay a $10 million fine, USA Today reported. Prosecutors had said the exchange required only an email address to open an account.

Trump pardoned Delo and three other BitMEX figures on March 27, 2025. Delo said the pardon was “a vindication” and that the company and its founders “should never have been charged with a criminal offense through an obscure, antiquated law,” CNBC reported. A congressional Democratic staff report in 2026 listed $10 million for Delo among financial penalties it said the pardons erased. BitMEX announced in July 2026 that it would shut down, CNBC reported.

Offense of record

Ran a crypto exchange without required anti-money-laundering controls

Money

Delo agreed to pay a $10 million fine (USA Today); House Judiciary Democrats listed $10 million for him.

Response

Delo: "The US Department of Justice wrongfully targeted BitMEX and its co-founders" and "A legal wrong has been righted today" (CNBC).

Since then

BitMEX's operator HDR Global Trading said in July 2026 it would shut the exchange down effective Sept. 23, 2026 (Reuters via CNBC).

Gregory Dwyer

Former BitMEX head of business development who pleaded guilty to anti-money-laundering failures

Dwyer was head of business development at BitMEX, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange. Like the exchange’s three co-founders, he pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Bank Secrecy Act over the company’s failure to keep anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer programs, CNBC reported. He pleaded guilty in August 2022 and was sentenced that November to one year of probation and a $150,000 fine, USA Today reported.

Trump pardoned Dwyer along with Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo and Samuel Reed on March 27, 2025, without publicizing it; USA Today described all four as founders, while CNBC described Dwyer as a former high-ranking employee. Court records described BitMEX as “in effect a money laundering platform,” USA Today reported. A 2026 House Judiciary Democratic staff report listed his $150,000 among penalties it said the pardons erased.

Offense of record

Helped run a crypto exchange without required anti-money-laundering controls

Money

$150,000 fine (DOJ record; CNBC, USA Today).

Response

Dwyer made no public statement that we found. BitMEX said it would continue "to focus on innovation" (USA Today).

Since then

BitMEX's operator HDR Global Trading said in July 2026 it would shut the exchange down effective Sept. 23, 2026 (Reuters via CNBC).

HDR Global Trading Limited

Owner and operator of crypto exchange BitMEX, fined $100 million; the first company Trump pardoned

HDR Global Trading Limited owns and operates BitMEX, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange. In January 2025 the company was sentenced to pay a $100 million fine for violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to keep anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer programs, CNBC reported.

Trump pardoned the company on March 27, 2025, along with its founders. The Guardian, publishing an analysis by The Trace, reported that it was the first pardon of a corporation, issued just hours before the payment was due, and that because it remitted all fines, the $100 million will never reach the federal Crime Victims Fund. House Judiciary Democrats, in a 2026 staff report, said the company’s leaders promoted Trump’s crypto ventures; that is their claim. In July 2026 HDR said it would shut BitMEX down, CNBC reported.

Offense of record

Ran a crypto exchange without required anti-money-laundering controls

Ties to Trump

House Judiciary Democrats claimed BitMEX and its officers promoted Trump's $TRUMP meme coin; we found no independent reporting confirming a link to the pardon.

Money

The pardon remitted a $100 million criminal fine that would have gone to the Crime Victims Fund, per The Trace/Guardian analysis.

Response

BitMEX said it would continue "to focus on innovation and delivering the best products and services to our users" (USA Today). A Crime Victims Fund co-founder, Steve Derene, warned that large corporate cases are what sustain the fund (The Guardian/The Trace).

Since then

HDR Global Trading announced in July 2026 that BitMEX would shut down effective Sept. 23, 2026 (Reuters via CNBC).

Trevor Milton

Founder of electric-truck maker Nikola, convicted of defrauding investors

Milton founded Nikola, an electric- and hydrogen-truck start-up. A jury convicted him in 2022 of securities and wire fraud for misleading investors; prosecutors said a video of a truck apparently driving down a highway showed a nonfunctioning truck rolled down a hill. He was sentenced to four years but was free on appeal, the AP reported.

Milton and his wife gave more than $1.8 million to a Trump re-election fund less than a month before the 2024 election, the AP reported, citing FEC records. Trump said the pardon was “highly recommended by many people” and suggested Milton was targeted for supporting him, which CNN said Trump alleged without evidence. The pardon wiped out restitution prosecutors sought, about $695 million per a House Democratic staff report. In 2026 Democrats sought records on his case, Reuters reported.

Offense of record

Lied to investors about Nikola's trucks and technology

Ties to Trump

Milton and his wife donated more than $1.8 million to a Trump re-election fund in the month before the 2024 election, per FEC records reported by the AP. House Judiciary Democrats said this included $920,000 to the Trump 47 Committee. His lawyers included Brad Bondi, brother of the attorney general, and Marc Mukasey (AP). A donation is not evidence of a quid pro quo.

Money

Reported political donations: $1.8 million. Prosecutors filed a $695.2 million restitution calculation shortly before the pardon, per House Judiciary Democrats; no final order had been entered.

Who pushed for it

Trump said the pardon was "highly recommended by many people" (AP).

Response

Milton thanked Trump for "this sacred pardon of innocence" (AP). Trump called the prosecutors "a vicious group of people" (AP). The Manhattan U.S. attorney's office declined to comment. A Milton spokesperson later told Reuters the prosecution was politically motivated.

Since then

Nikola filed for bankruptcy in February 2025 (AP). In June 2026 Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Dave Min asked the administration to preserve clemency records for 17 recipients including Milton; the White House called it "a sad messaging attempt" (Reuters).

Devon Archer

Former Hunter Biden business partner convicted in a tribal-bond fraud who testified to House Republicans

Archer was convicted in 2018 for his role in a scheme, led by businessman Jason Galanis, to fraudulently issue more than $60 million in bonds through a business arm of a community of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, CBS News reported. He was sentenced to a year and a day, and the Supreme Court declined his appeal in 2024.

In 2023 Archer was interviewed by the House Oversight Committee about Hunter Biden’s business dealings. As Trump signed the pardon on March 25, 2025, White House staff secretary Will Scharf said the case’s “tone and tenor” changed after Archer began cooperating with congressional investigators. Trump said Archer was “a victim of a crime.” House Judiciary Democrats listed his $43.4 million restitution among sums wiped out by Trump pardons in a 2026 staff report. Signal Ohio counted him among fraud convicts Trump spared.

Offense of record

Took part in a scheme to defraud investors with bogus tribal bonds

Ties to Trump

Archer testified to House Republicans investigating Hunter Biden; the White House cited that cooperation when Trump signed the pardon (CBS News).

Money

Restitution or fines affected: $43.4 million. Restitution figure from the DOJ clemency record; House Judiciary Democrats listed the same amount among sums wiped out by Trump pardons.

Who pushed for it

Trump said "Many people have asked me to do this" (CBS News).

Response

Trump: "I think he was treated very unfairly… He was a victim of a crime, as far as I'm concerned." Staff secretary Will Scharf said the case changed after Archer began cooperating with congressional investigators (CBS News).

Since then

Three days later Trump commuted the sentence of Jason Galanis, who ran the bond scheme (KOTA).

Brian Kelsey

Former Republican Tennessee state senator who pleaded guilty in a campaign-finance conspiracy

Kelsey, a Republican former Tennessee state senator, pleaded guilty in November 2022 to federal charges tied to moving money from his state campaign account to his unsuccessful 2016 run for Congress. He later tried and failed to withdraw the plea, CNBC reported.

Trump pardoned him on March 11, 2025, 15 days after he began a 21-month prison term in Kentucky. Kelsey told CNBC that “God used Donald Trump to save me,” and that three Tennessee GOP congressmen, Mark Green, Andy Ogles and Chuck Fleischmann, worked to obtain the pardon. He said the “weaponized Biden DOJ” targeted him to reach CPAC chair Matt Schlapp; CPAC said neither it nor Schlapp was ever a target. CNBC noted it is highly unusual to receive clemency so early in a sentence. NBC News later listed him among several former politicians Trump has pardoned.

Offense of record

Pleaded guilty to funneling state campaign money into his run for Congress

Ties to Trump

Kelsey said three Republican Tennessee congressmen worked for his pardon; Rep. Andy Ogles said "Biden's DOJ weaponized justice to punish a principled conservative" (CNBC).

Who pushed for it

Reps. Mark Green, Andy Ogles and Chuck Fleischmann, per Kelsey (CNBC). His lawyers Joy Longnecker and Kent Wicker argued he was coerced into pleading guilty (CNBC).

Response

Kelsey: "His election saved me from the Biden" Justice Department (CNBC). CPAC said it supports Trump's clemency for "politicized prosecutions" and that neither CPAC nor Schlapp was a target. The White House and DOJ issued no statement on the pardon (CNBC).

Rod R. Blagojevich

Former Illinois governor and "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant convicted of corruption

Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, was convicted of political corruption, including seeking to sell an appointment to Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat and trying to shake down a children’s hospital, the Associated Press reported. He was serving a 14-year sentence and had appeared on Trump’s reality show “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Trump commuted the sentence on Feb. 18, 2020, after his wife, Patti, appealed to him on television, and said he had received a “ridiculous sentence,” the AP reported. The former U.S. attorney and prosecutors in the case said in a joint statement that the crimes were “very serious,” CNBC reported. In February 2025, Trump granted him a full pardon, NPR reported. NOTUS later reported that Blagojevich joined a pardon-lobbying effort for a former utility executive.

Offense of record

Tried to trade a U.S. Senate appointment and state actions for money or favors

Ties to Trump

Former Illinois governor who had been a contestant on Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice," per the AP.

Money

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

Who pushed for it

His wife, Patti Blagojevich, campaigned in the media in 2018 for Trump to step in, per the AP. Trump said he had watched her on television, per NPR.

Response

The former U.S. attorney in Chicago and the trial prosecutors said the crimes were "very serious" and deserved punishment; Sen. Dick Durbin said Blagojevich "betrayed the people of Illinois," per CNBC. NPR reported some Republicans had advised Trump against the move.

Since then

Trump granted a full pardon on Feb. 10, 2025, per the Justice Department and NPR. In November 2025, former ComEd executive Anne Pramaggiore hired Blagojevich to join her pardon lobbying effort, NOTUS reported in January 2026; he had not filed a lobbying disclosure and did not respond to NOTUS.

Andrew Zabavsky

D.C. police lieutenant convicted of covering up a 2020 chase that killed Karon Hylton-Brown

Zabavsky, a Metropolitan Police Department lieutenant, supervised Officer Terence Sutton during an October 2020 pursuit of 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, who was riding a moped without a helmet and was struck by another car and died. A jury convicted Zabavsky of conspiracy and obstruction of justice for helping cover up what happened; he was not charged with murder and was sentenced to four years, NBC News reported.

Trump pardoned both officers in January 2025 while they were free on appeal, saying they had gone “after an illegal.” NBC4 Washington found no evidence Hylton-Brown was in the country illegally; his mother said he was a U.S. citizen and had asked Trump not to pardon the officers. Police reinstated both. Zabavsky paid a $2,500 fine and was allowed to retire; a D.C. auditor called that discipline “grossly inadequate,” NBC4 reported.

Offense of record

Helped cover up a police chase that ended in a man's death

Ties to Trump

The D.C. Police Union praised the pardons (NBC News).

Who pushed for it

The D.C. Police Union praised the pardons and the Metropolitan Police Department thanked Trump (NBC News).

Response

Hylton-Brown's mother, Karen Hylton, asked Trump in a letter not to pardon the officers (NBC News). Zabavsky's lawyers said he thanked Trump for "a full and unconditional pardon" (NBC4). Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George said "It's unsafe to pardon acts like this" (NBC4).

Since then

Reinstated by MPD in March 2025 (NBC4). In July 2025 the D.C. auditor said he should have been fired; he instead paid a $2,500 fine and was allowed to retire (NBC4).

Terence Dale Sutton, Jr.

D.C. police officer convicted of murder over a 2020 chase that killed Karon Hylton-Brown

Sutton, a Metropolitan Police Department officer, chased 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, who was riding a moped without a helmet, for more than 10 blocks in October 2020. Hylton-Brown was struck by another vehicle as he left an alley and died. Sutton was convicted of second-degree murder, conspiracy and obstruction of justice; NBC News reported he was the first D.C. officer convicted of murder for on-duty conduct. Prosecutors said the officers then covered up what happened.

Trump pardoned Sutton and his supervisor in January 2025, saying they had gone “after an illegal”; NBC4 Washington found no evidence of that. MPD reinstated Sutton, and he returned to a non-patrol role after a 25-day suspension. The D.C. auditor had recommended firing him and called the discipline “grossly inadequate,” NBC4 reported.

Offense of record

Chased a moped rider who was killed, then helped cover it up

Ties to Trump

The D.C. Police Union praised the pardon, saying Sutton had been "wrongly charged by corrupt prosecutors for doing his job" (NBC News).

Who pushed for it

The D.C. Police Union praised the pardon; the Metropolitan Police Department thanked Trump (NBC News).

Response

Hylton-Brown's mother asked Trump not to pardon the officers and said she believed racism caused her son's death (NBC News). Sutton's attorney Mike Hannon said Sutton "has always been an innocent man" (NBC4). MPD called the prosecutions "literally unprecedented" (NBC News).

Since then

Reinstated by MPD in March 2025 with expected back pay (NBC4). In July 2025 the D.C. auditor said he should have been fired; he returned to a non-patrol job after a 25-day suspension (NBC4).

Ross William Ulbricht

Creator of Silk Road, a dark-web marketplace for drugs, serving life in prison

Ulbricht created Silk Road, an online marketplace where, Reuters reported, drug dealers and others did more than $200 million in illicit trade using bitcoin. A Manhattan jury convicted him in 2015 of drug distribution, hacking and money-laundering conspiracy charges, and he was sentenced to life. Prosecutors also said he solicited murders of people seen as threats, though they said no evidence showed any were carried out.

Trump had promised to help Ulbricht in a May 2024 speech to the Libertarian Party convention, and pardoned him on his first full day in office, the AP reported. Trump called the sentence “ridiculous” and attacked the prosecutors. In June 2025 a bitcoin donation worth about $31 million reached Ulbricht’s donation wallet; Fortune reported that the firm Chainalysis suspected the funds came from the defunct AlphaBay darknet market.

Offense of record

Ran an online black market where drugs were sold for bitcoin

Ties to Trump

Trump pledged at the May 2024 Libertarian National Convention to free Ulbricht; the Libertarian Party had pushed for his release (Reuters, AP).

Who pushed for it

The Libertarian Party; its chair Angela McArdle said saving his life "has been one of our top priorities" (AP). His clemency attorney was Brandon Sample (Reuters). The Free Ross campaign also advocated for the pardon (Fortune).

Response

Trump wrote that "the scum that worked to convict him" were among those involved in "weaponization of government against me" (AP). Sentencing judge Katherine Forrest had told Ulbricht "What you did was unprecedented" (Reuters).

Since then

In June 2025 a 300-bitcoin (about $31 million) donation reached his donation wallet; Chainalysis said it had "reasonable grounds to suspect" the funds came from AlphaBay (Fortune).

Note: Ulbricht was never convicted of the murder-for-hire allegations described by prosecutors.