Democrats Probe Trump Clemency Deals, Seek Links to Money and Influence

Senate and House Democrats opened a new inquiry into whether Donald Trump’s pardons and commutations were driven by money, influence and access rather than mercy. Rep. Dave Min and Rep. Raul Ruiz of California, along with Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, sent letters to more than a dozen clemency recipients and asked how they may have secured favorable treatment from Trump or his advisers through intermediaries, financial contributions or other forms of influence.

The investigation names several high-profile recipients, including cryptocurrency billionaire Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to money laundering; nursing home operator Joseph Schwartz, who was convicted of tax crimes; and entrepreneur Trevor Milton, who was sentenced to four years in prison in 2023 after being convicted of lying to investors. The lawmakers asked for contracts showing how much recipients paid lawyers, lobbyists, social media influencers and others who advocated on their behalf, along with communications with federal officials, donation records tied to Trump or groups aligned with him, and other documents connected to clemency efforts.

The letters framed the issue not only as a possible influence-peddling scheme but also as a direct blow to victims. The lawmakers said Trump’s clemency actions are "depriving victims of compensation and justice," citing the elimination of hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution and fines. They also invoked the Supreme Court’s description of executive clemency as "an act of grace" exercised for the "public welfare," arguing that Trump had instead appeared to reward allies.

The financial stakes are substantial. House Democrats previously said Trump’s pardons and commutations allowed recipients to avoid more than $1.3 billion in restitution and fines. A March 2026 analysis from the California Governor’s Office said pardons across both of Trump’s terms may have denied nearly $2 billion in victim restitution, forfeitures and fines. Those figures place the inquiry at the intersection of criminal justice, financial accountability and the livelihoods of fraud victims who depend on court-ordered payments.

Min warned that recipients who do not respond could become subjects of future congressional investigations, saying the issue goes to the heart of people trying to "get around the justice system." The letters demand a paper trail of who paid whom, who got access, and whether clemency was sold as a favor to allies, donors and connected brokers while victims were left to absorb the losses.