In 2025, Trump repeatedly used his power to help politicians caught in corruption or fraud cases. He handed out pardons and commutations to several figures—governors, members of Congress, and local officials—who had been convicted of crimes like bribery, wire fraud, and tax fraud. His Justice Department also stepped in to stop at least one major corruption case, leading to resignations from career prosecutors. He reshaped the pardon process by firing the longtime head of the Office of the Pardon Attorney and installing a loyal replacement to speed decisions. He even urged Israel to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Official records show many of these 2025 clemencies specifically covered corruption and fraud.
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¶ He granted clemency to multiple U.S. politicians convicted of corruption or fraud early and often in 2025
- On February 10, 2025, Trump issued a full pardon to former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, whose 2011 corruption convictions included attempting to sell Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat. (reuters.com)
- On March 11, 2025, he pardoned former Tennessee state senator Brian Kelsey, who had pleaded guilty to a federal campaign finance conspiracy. (apnews.com)
- On April 23, 2025, he pardoned Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas city council member and Nevada state lawmaker convicted on seven federal counts tied to a wire‑fraud scheme. (washingtonpost.com)
- On May 27, 2025, he pardoned Scott Jenkins, an elected Virginia sheriff convicted of taking more than $75,000 in bribes in a “badges‑for‑cash” scheme. (reuters.com)
- On May 28, 2025, he pardoned former U.S. Representative Michael Grimm, who had pleaded guilty to felony tax fraud. (reuters.com)
- The same week, he pardoned former Connecticut Governor John Rowland, who had twice been convicted on corruption‑related charges. (apnews.com)
- On October 17, 2025, he commuted the seven‑plus‑year prison sentence of former U.S. Representative George Santos, who had been convicted of fraud and identity theft tied to his campaign. (reuters.com)
- On February 14, 2025, senior Trump DOJ officials directed prosecutors to drop federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, prompting multiple resignations from career prosecutors. (washingtonpost.com)
- A federal judge then dismissed the Adams case with prejudice on April 2, 2025, after DOJ pressed to abandon the prosecution, cementing the outcome. (cnbc.com)
- On March 7, 2025, the Trump Justice Department fired Elizabeth (Liz) Oyer, the career head of the Office of the Pardon Attorney. (reuters.com)
- On May 14, 2025, Trump installed Edward R. Martin Jr. as U.S. Pardon Attorney (and simultaneously tasked him with leading a new “Weaponization Working Group”), consolidating White House control over clemency review. (justice.gov)
- On October 13, 2025, while addressing Israel’s parliament, Trump urged Israel’s president to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. (reuters.com)
¶ Official records and major outlets document that many of these 2025 clemencies specifically covered corruption and fraud offenses
- The Justice Department’s clemency docket for 2025 lists pardons including Brian Kelsey (campaign finance conspiracy), Michele Fiore (wire fraud), and Scott Jenkins (bribery and honest‑services fraud), among others. (justice.gov)