Pardons

Trump Criticizes Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar for Not Switching Parties After Pardon

| Importance: 9/10

President Trump publicly attacks Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar for remaining in the Democratic Party and running for re-election as a Democrat, just days after Trump pardoned Cuellar and his wife from federal bribery and conspiracy charges. Trump’s statements—calling Cuellar’s …

Donald Trump Henry Cuellar DOJ pardons quid-pro-quo corruption congress party-switching +1 more
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60 Minutes Investigation: Former DOJ Officials Call Trump's Binance Pardon 'Unprecedented Corruption'

| Importance: 9/10

On November 16, 2025, CBS News’ 60 Minutes aired a major investigative report examining President Trump’s October 23, 2025 pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, revealing extensive financial ties between Zhao’s cryptocurrency empire and the Trump family’s crypto venture. …

CBS News 60 Minutes Scott Pelley Elizabeth Oyer Lawrence Lessig +5 more media-investigation corruption pardons cryptocurrency binance +4 more
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Trump Pardons 77 Allies Who Attempted to Overturn 2020 Election Including Giuliani, Meadows, and Fake Electors

| Importance: 10/10

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 Trump Rudy Giuliani Mark Meadows Sidney Powell John Eastman +12 more pardons 2020-election accountability fake-electors institutional-capture +4 more
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Trump Admits on 60 Minutes He Doesn't Know Changpeng Zhao, the Binance Founder He Pardoned

| Importance: 9/10

On November 3, 2025, President Trump admitted during a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with Norah O’Donnell that he does not know who Changpeng Zhao is—the Binance cryptocurrency founder he pardoned just 11 days earlier on October 23, 2025. When asked why he pardoned Zhao, Trump stated: …

Donald Trump Norah O'Donnell Changpeng Zhao CBS News 60 Minutes +2 more pardons corruption cryptocurrency 60-minutes binance +4 more
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Giuliani Associate Sought $2 Million Payment for Trump Pardons

| Importance: 8/10

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 …

Rudy Giuliani Lev Parnas Igor Fruman Harry Sargeant III Dmytro Firtash +1 more pardons corruption pay-to-play bribery giuliani
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Trump's Final Day Pardon Spree - 73 Pardons Including Bannon and Broidy

| Importance: 9/10

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 Trump Steve Bannon Elliott Broidy Ken Kurson Paul Manafort +2 more pardons corruption abuse-of-power fraud pay-to-play
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Trump Pardons Charles Kushner and 14 Others in Single-Day Corruption Spree

| Importance: 9/10

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 Trump Charles Kushner Jared Kushner Paul Erickson Margaret Hunter +1 more pardons corruption nepotism abuse-of-power pay-to-play
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Trump Pardons Four Blackwater Contractors for Nisour Square Massacre

| Importance: 9/10

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 Trump Erik Prince Betsy DeVos Nicholas Slatten Paul Slough +2 more pardons corruption war-crimes blackwater abuse-of-power +1 more
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Trump Pardon Corruption - Systematic Monetization of Presidential Clemency Power

| Importance: 9/10

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 Trump Rudy Giuliani Jared Kushner William Barr pardons corruption pay-to-play abuse-of-power constitutional-crisis
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Trump Pardons Michael Flynn After Guilty Plea and Sidney Powell Conspiracy Theories

| Importance: 8/10

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 Trump Michael Flynn Sidney Powell Emmet Sullivan William Barr pardons russia-investigation obstruction-of-justice corruption turkey
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