Trump has also pardoned several celebrities, including Todd and Julie Chrisley, the reality star couple who were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion, as well as rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black in 2021.
But how does Trump choose who to pardon, and how do these people get the president’s attention when thousands of people apply for pardons every year? According to an investigation by CBS News, those who can afford it hire pardon brokers, a term referring to lawyers and lobbyists who sell their connections to Trump for a massive price.
CBS’ investigation
CBS spoke with Ammon Covino, a felon who was convicted a decade ago for illegal wildlife trafficking. He served 23 months in prison and applied for a pardon by submitting an application to the Justice Department (DOJ). His application was rejected.
Working with CBS News, Covino then tried to seek a pardon again, this time using pardon brokers. Covino sat down with his wife and two lobbyists, Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, who were being secretly recorded as they pitched their services.
“With this particular White House, you have to put pressure on the president from all directions in a consistent way to force his hand,” Burkman can be heard saying during his meeting with the Covinos. “We literally want to put the pen in his hand and get him to sign it because he’s tired of hearing about it.”
The price tag for their services: $300,000. The pair told the Covinos the massive fee was to cover the expense of getting close to the president, including a trip to Mar-a-lago and a possible $10,000 ticket to a fundraiser the president was to attend. They also said they had to hire “influencers” who have regular meetings with Trump.
Wohl and Burkman are Trump loyalists. The pair reportedly ran a robocall scheme to suppress black voting in 2020, leading to a criminal conviction. They now work in pardons and reportedly claim they got a man convicted of massive tax fraud pardoned after he paid them nearly a million dollars.
Trump’s pardons
Historically, the DOJ has screened applicants and only recommends pardon to those who seem remorseful. Wohl and Burkman told the Covinos that simply isn’t the case anymore, adding that Trump makes his own decisions and the DOJ is simply an afterthought.
