President Trump issued comprehensive federal pardons to 77 individuals involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including his former attorney Rudy Giuliani, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, Jeffrey …
Donald TrumpRudy GiulianiMark MeadowsSidney PowellJohn Eastman+12 morepardons2020-electionaccountabilityfake-electorsinstitutional-capture+4 more
President Trump pardoned former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his chief of staff Cade Cothren just weeks after they were sentenced to federal prison for public corruption charges. Casada received a three-year sentence in September 2025 for orchestrating a 2020 scheme to receive over …
Donald TrumpGlen CasadaCade Cothrenpardonssystematic-corruptionstate-captureabuse-of-powerkleptocracy
President Trump commuted the 87-month federal prison sentence of former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) after Santos served only three months of his sentence. Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024 to multiple counts of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, campaign finance violations, and financial crimes …
Donald TrumpWhite HouseGeorge Santosexecutive-powerpardonsabuse-of-powercorruptionaccountability-crisis
Florida businessman Harry Sargeant III told federal prosecutors that associates of Rudy Giuliani approached him seeking a $2 million payment to secure presidential pardons for individuals under investigation, according to court filings unsealed in April 2021. The revelation provided direct evidence …
In his final hours as president, Donald Trump issued 73 pardons and 70 commutations—143 acts of clemency in a single day, overwhelming the typical pardon process and demonstrating systematic corruption of executive power. The pardons went almost exclusively to political allies, campaign donors, and …
Donald TrumpSteve BannonElliott BroidyKen KursonPaul Manafort+2 morePardonsCorruptionAbuse-of-PowerFraudPay-to-Play
President Trump commuted the sentence of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who was serving a 28-year sentence for orchestrating a massive corruption scheme that looted the city of Detroit while it spiraled toward bankruptcy. Kilpatrick had served only 7 years of his sentence for racketeering, …
Donald TrumpKwame KilpatrickBobby FergusonAlveda KingPardonsCorruptionPublic-CorruptionAbuse-of-Power
President Trump pardoned his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, real estate developer Charles Kushner, along with 14 other allies in a single day, demonstrating brazen nepotism and abuse of presidential clemency power. Charles Kushner had pleaded guilty in 2004 to 18 counts of illegal campaign …
Donald TrumpCharles KushnerJared KushnerPaul EricksonMargaret Hunter+1 morePardonsCorruptionNepotismAbuse-of-PowerPay-to-Play
President Trump pardoned four Blackwater private military contractors convicted of killing 14 Iraqi civilians, including two children, in Baghdad’s Nisour Square in 2007. Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard were serving sentences ranging from 12 years to life …
Donald TrumpErik PrinceBetsy DeVosNicholas SlattenPaul Slough+2 morePardonsCorruptionWar-CrimesBlackwaterAbuse-of-Power+1 more
President Trump’s systematic abuse of pardon power between 2017-2021 established a pattern of corruption that transformed constitutional clemency authority into a criminal enterprise. Analysis of Trump’s 237 pardons and commutations reveals a president who monetized executive power, …
Donald TrumpRudy GiulianiJared KushnerWilliam BarrPardonsCorruptionPay-to-PlayAbuse-of-PowerConstitutional-Crisis
Heavily redacted federal court documents unsealed in December 2020 revealed the Department of Justice was investigating a “bribery-for-pardon” scheme in which individuals allegedly offered substantial political contributions in exchange for presidential pardons. The court filings, made …
Donald TrumpElliott BroidyLev ParnasRudy GiulianiPardonsCorruptionPay-to-PlayBriberyDOJ+1 more
President Trump issued a full pardon to his first National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 transition. The pardon came after Flynn, represented by conspiracy theorist attorney …
Donald TrumpMichael FlynnSidney PowellEmmet SullivanWilliam BarrPardonsRussia-InvestigationObstruction-of-JusticeCorruptionTurkey