Pardons granted by Trump are investigated by democrats due to suspicions of money in exchange
The pardons granted by Donald Trump are being analyzed with the goal of determining whether they are linked to some type of payment or favor in exchange
Some of the pardons granted by President Donald Trump during his second term in the White House are investigated by a couple of Democrats due to suspicions that there could be money involved.
Peter Welch, Senator from Vermont, and Dave Min, Representative from California, established contact with 17 individuals who were pardoned by the 79-year-old Republican, or received commutations.of sentences.
Welch is on the Senate Judiciary Committee and was a member of the Oversight Committee of the House of Representatives during his time in the lower house.
With regard to Min, he is part of the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee and chairs the anti-corruption working group of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Both characters agree on the need to transparent any indication of opacity in the granting of pardons.
Therefore, through a letter, both politicians individually questioned 17 pardoned to determine whether the president granted them clemency in exchange for delivering something.
“Historically, executive clemency has been understood as an act of grace exercised in the interests of justice and public welfare, but it cannot become a tool for political favoritism.
At a time when Americans are already losing faith in our institutions, Congress has the responsibility to exercise oversight "n and ensure that no one, including a sitting president, is above accountability," they said jointly in a statement.
According to a list of beneficiaries released by Senator Min's office, some pardoned such as Trevor Milton, founder and former CEO of Nikola Corporation, donated to Trump's campaign.
This is relevant due to the fact that had been declared guilty of stock fraud and electronic fraud, and in 2023, federal prosecutors requested approximately $661 million dollars in compensation from investors.
However, a donation made by the businessman and his wife to Trump's 2024 campaign fund, which consisted of $1.8 million, months later gained notoriety when his pardon was announced in March 2025.
From there that triggered interest in analyzing pardons similar to that one again.
Under this approach, the recipients of the letters sent were asked to provide their responses before May 22nd.