Trump Called Trevor Milton Before $660 Million Fraud Pardon as Reuters Maps 290 Clemency Influencers
Updated
Updated · Букви · Jun 11
Trump Called Trevor Milton Before $660 Million Fraud Pardon as Reuters Maps 290 Clemency Influencers
3 articles · Updated · Букви · Jun 11
Summary
Days before pardoning Trevor Milton in March, Trump called the convicted Nikola founder and said advisers, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had argued he was unfairly prosecuted.
Reuters says the call illustrates a second-term clemency system driven less by Justice Department review than by direct access to Trump and his inner circle.
290 influencers were tied to 624 actions affecting 197 recipients in Reuters' database, with 11 influencers themselves having received first-term pardons.
Lobbying showed mixed results: only two successful applicants hired registered lobbyists, spending about $2.7 million, while 26 others spent nearly $1.9 million without winning clemency.
The findings deepen concerns that a constitutional presidential power is being exercised through opaque personal networks rather than longstanding DOJ safeguards.
When pardons erase $1.5 billion owed to victims, what is the true cost of this new clemency process?
Trump’s Clemency Surge Since 2025: Pay-to-Play Allegations, Erased Restitution, and the Erosion of Justice
Overview
Since President Trump returned to office in 2025, the presidential clemency process has changed dramatically. The White House now controls clemency decisions more tightly, moving away from the traditional Department of Justice review. This shift has led to less transparency, with pardon lists not made public right away and decisions often favoring those with political connections or loyalty. As a result, many pardons have erased financial penalties for serious crimes, leaving victims uncompensated and raising concerns about fairness and justice. These changes have sparked public criticism, congressional investigations, and calls for reform.