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Trump's pardon-for-cash scheme crumbles as wealthy clients spill the beans
AlterNet • • world
Key Points:
- Rapper Boosie Badazz (Torence Ivy Hatch Jr.) is suing a lobbying firm he paid $600,000 to secure a presidential pardon from Donald Trump for unlawful firearm possession, highlighting a broader trend of wealthy clients paying for clemency advocacy.
- The Trump administration saw a shift in the pardon process, with President Trump and his inner circle taking more direct control, reducing the Justice Department’s pardon attorney's authority.
- Lobbyists and pardon advocates advise clients to leverage personal connections to the White House and seek direct access to Trump, often through visits to Mar-a-Lago, to increase chances of receiving pardons.
- While paying for pardon advocacy is legal, the process has become more accessible to non-traditional lobbyists, creating a lucrative market where fees can reach up to $5 million, though success is not guaranteed.
- Beyond lobbying-driven pardons, Trump controversially pardoned about 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, many of whom have since committed further serious crimes.
