Paid advocacy directed at Trump's clemency process is documented across both administrations. First-term records include a $750,000 engagement that did not produce a pardon and retainers or contingent fees charged by Trump-connected advocates. In the second term, a lobbying filing recorded $960,000 from Joseph Schwartz before Trump pardoned him; CBS recorded a separate $300,000 pitch, documented a disputed $600,000 payment for an unsuccessful effort, and found that about 70 percent of second-term clemency actions were not routed through the Justice Department channel, or 92 percent including January 6 cases. A 2020 federal order described a separate alleged bribery-for-pardon investigation, and lawmakers have announced further oversight plans. These records document recurring paid clemency advocacy and disclosed six-figure fees. They do not establish that Trump received the brokers' fees or prove a criminal quid pro quo by Trump.
Clemency advocacy — fees, access pitches and DOJ routing
Back to results- Date
- 2026-09-14
- Evidence status
- documented
- Current status
- Congressional oversight announced; payment disputes and legal questions remain unresolved
The ledger
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