Lobbyists experience a surge in demand as Trump issues a series of pardons
In the wild, wild world of politics, cashing in on presidential pardons has become big business for lobbying and consulting firms cozying up to the Trump administration. Wealthy individuals wanting a second chance are more than willing to dish out millions of dollars to get their case in front of the right people.
"It's like the Wild West," a Trump ally and lobbyist admitted. "You can basically charge whatever you want."
There's no official price tag on pardon help, but a couple of insiders familiar with the proposals to lobbying firms revealed offers of $5 million to secure a case with Trump. High numbers like that might not be standard, but they certainly speak to a booming pardon economy.
During his first term, Trump allies were known to receive five-figure amounts for pardon help, as reported by The New York Times. In 2021, Brett Tolman, a former federal prosecutor who advised the White House on pardons, was charging these amounts according to filings and a client. John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer convicted of disclosing classified information, was allegedly told that ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump ally, could secure him a pardon for $2 million - a claim Giuliani disputed.
Cozying up to a president's allies or hiring lobbyists to gain access to clemency isn't exactly new. But what's different with Trump is the rolling basis for granting pardons, with most coming at the end of the administration.
"All pardon and commutation decisions are solely made by President Trump, who is always willing to give well-deserving Americans a second chance - especially those who have been unfairly targeted by a corrupt justice system," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers insisted.
Since taking office in January, Trump has granted pardons or executive clemency to more than 1,500 people, the majority related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This is a significant increase compared to a similar time frame during his first term in office, when he had only pardoned one person in his first year.
Many clemency recipients have been individuals with the means to elevate their case - allies, donors, celebrities, and former politicians. There's a process for vetting pardon applications through the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney, but presidents have not always followed it.
Some of the pardons Trump is issuing would not be able to make it through the typical process. Unless the Justice Department grants a waiver, petitioners need to wait until five years after either their convictions or the ends of their sentences, and they place a premium on acceptance of responsibility.
As of this week, there are 6,394 applications for commutations and 1,529 applications for pardons. Not every Trump-aligned lobbyist is eager to take pardon work; some who have turned down offers have passed them along to a small handful of Trump supporters who then help the pardon-seeker get on the president's radar. In some cases, referral fees are paid to the lobbying firms even if they're not directly engaged to do the work.
Reality-TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley recently joined the ranks of those granted clemency by Trump. Their daughter, a prominent Trump supporter with nearly 3 million Instagram followers, spearheaded a public campaign for their case. Key to reaching Trump is pushing a message that appeals to the president, particularly one surrounding politicization of justice by Democrats or overzealous prosecutors.
Tolman, now a Fox News contributor and the executive director of the conservative-leaning criminal justice reform group Right on Crime, has become one of the go-tos for help when people are seeking Trump pardons. He helped the Chrisleys, as well as Charles Kushner, the father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Other Trump allies who have played influential roles in the pardon process over the past weeks include Washington attorney Adam Katz, Roger Stone, and Matt Blair of Corcoran Partners. Lobbyists interviewed by NBC News named these individuals as the ones to whom they refer pardon work.
- The booming pardon economy under the Trump administration has seen some individuals offering millions of dollars to secure their case, with Brett Tolman, a former federal prosecutor, reportedly charging five-figure amounts and some reality-TV stars like the Chrisleys getting pardoned after a public campaign.
- In the general news and crime-and-justice sphere, the process of securing a pardon has become a lucrative business, with lobbying firms allegedly asked for $5 million or more, and figures like Tolman, Adam Katz, Roger Stone, and Matt Blair being named as key players in the pardon process.
