Court documents unsealed by the D.C. District Court show that the Justice Department is investigating a possible scheme where someone with connections to Trump’s closest advisers is selling presidential pardons.
Since at least August, the DOJ has been investigating a potential crime “related to funneling money to the White House or related political committee in exchange for a presidential pardon.”
The disclosure is in 20 pages of partially redacted documents made public by the DC District Court on Tuesday afternoon. The records show Chief Judge Beryl Howell’s review in August of a request from prosecutors to access documents obtained in a search as part of a bribery-for-pardon investigation.
CNN
The filings don’t reveal a timeline of the alleged scheme, or any names of people potentially involved, except that communications between people including at least one lawyer were seized from an office that was raided sometime before the end of this summer.
Donald Trump pardoned Michael Flynn last week, and some people close to the president have said Rudy Giuliani has asked for a pardon. It’s unlikely someone like Giuliani, whose crimes directly relate to Trump, would be asked to pay for a pardon, though.
An investigation by the New York Times in January 2021 uncovers Brett Tolman, a White House adviser and former federal prosecutor, and John Dowd, previously a personal attorney for Trump, are behind this or a similar scheme. The reporting suggests other Trump advisers are running schemes, too, including Rudy Giuliani.
One of the felons looking to purchase a pardon paid $50,000 to a former Trump campaign adviser. He was then referred to Rudy Giuliani
Sources
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/politics/presidential-pardon-justice-department/index.html
Documents: https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/sites/dcd/files/20gj35%20Partial%20Unsealing%20Order.pdf
Giuliani: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/01/rudy-giuliani-and-trump-discussed-pardon-after-loss-to-biden.html
Photo: Public Domain
