Pardon Seekers Pay Up to $1 Million for Access to Trump's Clemency Pipeline: Report

A new review of President Donald Trump's clemency operation suggests some pardon seekers are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars — and in some cases offering up to $1 million or more — to reach people they believe can influence the White House pardon process.

The clearest example is Joseph Schwartz, according to, a former nursing home executive who was pardoned by Trump after serving about three months of a three-year sentence for tax crimes tied to the collapse of Skyline Healthcare, a nursing home chain that faced allegations of neglect, wage violations and fraud.

According to The New York Times, Schwartz's clemency campaign involved nearly $1 million paid to right-wing operatives, more than $100,000 to another lobbyist and additional payments to lawyers with ties to Trump advisers involved in clemency matters.

The outlet reported that pardon seekers are often willing to even make bonus payments if clemency is granted. The newspaper described a growing industry built around the idea that access to the right intermediaries — rather than traditional measures like remorse or rehabilitation — can improve the odds of success.

In Schwartz's case, congressional filings cited by the outlet show that lobbyists Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl were paid $960,000 to seek a federal pardon. The filing said they contacted Congress, the White House and the Justice Department on Schwartz's behalf. In an audio recording cited, Burkman described using "a combination of influencers and members of Congress," while also going "direct to the president."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected the idea that paid lobbyists shaped Trump's clemency decisions through a statement. "Anyone spending money to lobby for pardons is foolishly wasting their money," she said, adding that Trump is "the final decider."

Former Justice Department pardon attorney Liz Oyer told The Washington Post back in November that Schwartz's case raised concerns about "a special tier of justice for people who can afford to pay." Oyer also noted that the pardon was unusual because it came shortly after sentencing and before Schwartz had completed his punishment.

Trump's White House defended the pardon by arguing Schwartz had paid $5 million in restitution, was in poor health and had received an excessively harsh sentence. But some former employees of Skyline said the pardon sent the wrong message. "This man hurt a lot of people," Theresa Dante, a former worker quoted by the Times, said.

According to lobbying filings cited in the report, firms disclosed receiving nearly $5.2 million last year from clients seeking clemency from Trump, roughly eight times the amount disclosed in 2024 for clemency efforts directed at former President Joe Biden.