Democrats launch probe on whether Trump pardons were ‘pay-to-play’

Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Dave Min (D-Calif.) on Thursday sent letters to 17 people who received pardons or commutations from President Trump, asking whether the president granted them leniency under “pay-for-play” circumstances.
 

The lawmakers said the individuals got Trump’s clemency “under suspicious circumstances,” according to a list of recipients released by Min’s office.
 

Some who received pardons donated to Trump’s campaign, such as Trevor Milton, the founder and former CEO of Nikola Corporation. Milton was convicted in December 2023 of securities fraud and wire fraud, and federal prosecutors sought roughly $661 million in restitution to investors.

Milton and his wife, the list notes, donated $1.8 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign fund. Trump pardoned him in March 2025.

The president also pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, in October 2025. Zhao pleaded guilty to charges in 2023 for violating anti-money laundering laws and served four months in prison.

In the letters to Milton, Zhao and 15 others, the Democrats asked for details on the circumstances of their bids for clemency, including whether they retained or consulted with an attorney or lobbyist, whether they or others affiliated with them communicated with the Trump administration or whether they or others affiliated with them donated to Trump’s campaign or related organizations.
 

The recipients were told to provide answers by May 22.

Abigail Jackson, a spokeswoman for the White House, told The Hill that Trump “exercised his constitutional authority” in issuing the pardons and commutations. She also criticized former President Biden for pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, and other family members before leaving office.

“The White House has a rigorous pardon review process which includes the White House Counsel, the Department of Justice, and ultimately the President as the final decider,” Jackson added. “Anyone spending money to lobby for pardons is foolishly wasting their money.”
 

Min is a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s anti-corruption task force. Welch, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was also on the House Oversight panel during his time in the lower chamber.
 

Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz (Calif.) is also sponsoring the measure.
 

“Executive clemency has historically been understood as an act of grace exercised in the interest of justice and the public welfare, but it cannot become a tool for political favoritism, corruption, or pay-to-play dealings,” Min and Welch said in a joint statement. “At a moment when Americans are already losing faith in our institutions, Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversight and ensure that no one, including a sitting President, is above accountability.”