White House Denies Influence of ‘Pardon Brokers’
A spokesperson for the White House has denied any influence from “pardon brokers” on former President Donald Trump’s administration. This issue was examined on CBS’ “60 Minutes” during its season premiere on Sunday. The long-standing news program featured a segment on lobbyists who reportedly negotiated for presidential pardons through connections to the president.
“Presidents have been pardoning criminals since George Washington,” said correspondent Lesley Stahl. “It’s a constitutional power that requires no explanation. The Department of Justice screens applicants and usually recommends those who sincerely seek mercy. Still, this has not always been the approach. President Ford pardoned Richard Nixon. President Clinton pardoned Marc Rich after donations. President Biden pardoned his son Hunter and Anthony Fauci.”
The “60 Minutes” segment focused on “pardon brokers” aiming to obtain presidential pardons by leveraging alleged ties to the president. (Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Lesley Stahl continued, “President Trump devised his own vetting system, pardoning political allies, including all January 6 rioters, and various financial offenders who claimed, like him, wrongful prosecution.” She explained money and connections played roles in how grievances reached the president, with donations aiding access and those hiring pardon brokers paying steep fees. “It’s a marketplace of money and mercy,” she noted.
Lauren Bis, a White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital that Trump wasn’t influenced by any “lobbyists” regarding his presidential pardons. She criticized previous pardons by former President Joe Biden for releasing violent criminals.
“Anyone spending money to lobby for pardons is wasting money, and the President doesn’t even know these so-called ‘lobbyists.’ The Trump Administration has a comprehensive pardon review process involving White House counsel, the Department of Justice, pardon czar Alice Johnson, and finally, the President himself,” Bis stated.
She further commented that criticisms should focus on President Biden, who pardoned violent criminals and other figures. “Illegal alien child rapists and attempted murderers were pardoned by extreme liberal Democrat Governors to keep them in the country,” she added.
Fox News Digital attempted to reach CBS News for comments but did not receive an immediate response.
“60 Minutes” aired its latest season amid widespread dismissals of veteran producers and correspondents. The network’s editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, has been involved in reshaping the program. Guy Campanile, a former producer and managing editor, suggested on Facebook that these dismissals resulted from their refusal to conform to “White House talking points.”
In a post on social media, Campanile stated, “We would not compromise our principles or reputations by integrating unverifiable notions or White House talking points into our stories. We objected when instructed to conduct interviews arranged by the administration and insisted on asking the most challenging questions to leaders without bias.”
Lindsay Kornick, associate editor for Fox News Digital, can be contacted for story tips at [email protected] and on Twitter: @lmkornick.