Report: Wealthy Convicts Paying Large Sums for Trump Pardons Often Come Up Empty
Key Takeaways
- •The presidential pardon power is established under Article II of the U.S. Constitution and grants the chief executive broad discretion to grant clemency regardless of Justice Department recommendations.
- •Some wealthy individuals have been quoted seven-figure sums by lobbying firms to pursue pardons, yet many who paid large amounts did not receive clemency.
- •Rapper Boosie BadAzz paid lobbyists $600,000 seeking a pardon for a felony gun possession charge, but the pardon was not granted and he later sued the lobbyists.
- •Fred Daibes, convicted in 2024 of bribing former Senator Bob Menendez, paid $1 million to a lobbying firm run by former Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller but has not received a pardon.
- •The involvement of paid intermediaries in the pardon process has drawn scrutiny across multiple administrations since the formal Justice Department pathway does not require third-party lobbyists.
Wealthy people seeking pardons from President Donald Trump are facing steep costs and uncertain outcomes, according to a New York Post report published Saturday.
The presidential pardon power, established under Article II of the U.S. Constitution, allows the chief executive to grant clemency for federal crimes. The formal process typically runs through the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney, which reviews applications and issues recommendations—but presidents are not bound by those recommendations and have broad discretion to grant or deny clemency.
The Post reported that some convicted criminals with substantial financial resources have been quoted “staggering” seven-figure sums for efforts to secure a Trump pardon. In some cases, the report said, people who paid large amounts still did not receive clemency.
“The majority of the people paying big bucks are not getting what they want,” Mark Osler, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, told the Post. “A lot of them are scammers being scammed.”
One case cited by the Post involved Louisiana rapper Boosie BadAzz, whose legal name is Torence Hatch Jr. According to the report, Hatch paid lobbyists $600,000 to help him obtain clemency from Trump in connection with a felony gun possession charge.
The pardon did not come through, and Hatch later sued the lobbyists, the Post reported.
The Post also pointed to Fred Daibes, who was convicted in 2024 of bribing former Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife with gold bars in exchange for Menendez's assistance in a bank fraud case.
According to the Post, Daibes paid $1 million to a lobbying firm run by Keith Schiller, a former Trump bodyguard. However, no pardon for Daibes has materialized since he was sentenced in January 2025 to seven years in federal prison.
“They say don't play a player,” Osler said. “A lot of them seem to be getting played right now.”
The Post reported that lobbying firms are charging large sums to help clients seek “executive relief,” a term that can include presidential pardons and other forms of clemency. The involvement of paid intermediaries in the pardon process has drawn scrutiny across multiple administrations, as the formal Justice Department pathway does not require—and is not designed around—third-party lobbyists or consultants.