The pattern: Reuters review and House Democratic report
- Status
- Reviews published; Democratic lawmakers’ inquiry open
- Type
- Review · Jun 15, 2026
- People
- Donald Trump
- The case
- Not a grant. A summary entry for the reviews that measure the whole second-term clemency record.
THE LINK TO TRUMP’S ORBIT
Reuters found 96 percent of second-term clemency grants went to people who did not meet longstanding Justice Department guidelines, identified 290 advocates who intervened 624 times in 197 successful bids, and reported intermediary fees of up to $2 million. NBC News reported in May 2025 that two people knew of a client’s offer of $5 million to lobbying firms to help get a case to Trump.
WHAT THE RECORD SHOWS
House Judiciary Democrats estimated in June 2025 that the pardons could deprive victims and taxpayers of about $1.3 billion in restitution and fines, including amounts prosecutors had sought but courts had not yet ordered, and published a fuller staff report in August 2026. California’s governor later cited nearly $2 billion in lost victim repayment and taxpayer recovery.
Reuters reported in June 2026 that more than 1,700 people had received clemency since January 2025.
RESPONSE
The White House told Reuters that the constitutional authority to issue pardons rests solely with the president, that it has a rigorous pardon review process, and that “anyone spending money to lobby for pardons is foolishly wasting their money.” The Justice Department said there has been no departure from its long-standing process, and both have denied any impropriety (Reuters). Press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said Trump was most interested in pardoning people “overprosecuted by a weaponized DOJ” (NBC News).
Correction. An earlier version credited Reuters with reporting offers as high as $5 million. That figure comes from NBC News, and the entry now says so. Corrected September 18, 2026.
SOURCES
- The Spokesman-Review (Reuters): Democrats press Trump administration over ‘pay-to-play’ pardons ↗
- HuffPost (Reuters): Forget the DOJ. For a Trump pardon, call ‘Bobby’ and other influencers ↗
- House Judiciary Committee Democrats: Pardons Inc.: Democratic staff report on second-term clemency ↗
- House Judiciary Committee Democrats: Democratic staff memo on the $1.3 billion cost of Trump pardons ↗
- Office of the Governor of California: Trump pardons wipe nearly $2 billion in victim repayment and taxpayer recovery ↗
- NPR: Who has President Trump pardoned and why? ↗
- Forbes: Everyone pardoned by Trump with political or financial ties to the White House ↗
- NBC News: Trump pardons drive a big, burgeoning business for lobbyists ↗
- NBC News: Trump’s pardons forgive financial crimes that came with hundreds of millions in punishments ↗
A connection recorded here is not proof that it bought the outcome. Where a response exists, it is part of the record. How entries are labeled · Submit a correction or response · Download the ledger
