John,
Originally designed to be an extraordinary safeguard, the presidential pardon is supposed to serve as a rarely used means to correct injustice on a case-by-case basis. Over the last year, however, Trump’s pardons have become frequent, monetized, and transactional exchanges that result in political or financial gains for Trump himself.
In addition to granting full pardons to every January 6 riot defendant, including the most violent leaders who attacked Capitol Police, Trump has also pardoned cryptocurrency and security fraudsters, including Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and Devon Archer, and even cocaine trafficking kingpin Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras.
Trump’s pardon of Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the billionaire co-founder of the Binance crypto exchange who pleaded guilty to money laundering charges, highlighted the business ties between Binance and World Liberty Financial, which is actively managed by Eric and Donald Trump Jr. Within hours of the pardon, the value of Trump family crypto interests spiked.
Meanwhile, the pardon of Devon Archer, convicted of security fraud against the Oglala Sioux, relieved Archer of over $43 million in restitution to the tribe and other investors. Archer had cooperated in Trump’s investigation of Hunter Biden. And Trump’s pardon of Juan Orlando Hernandez freed Hernandez from a 45-year prison sentence for smuggling cocaine into the United States, dovetailing with Trump’s efforts to favor Hernandez’ party in Honduras.
Send a direct message to Congress to demand they subpoena the lobbyists, donors, and administration officials who are enabling Trump to subvert the clemency process for his own financial or political advantage.
Trump is treating pardons as commodities, as lobbyists openly advertise their proximity to the president’s inner circle and help turn clemency into a corrupt pay-to-play game. Rather than relying on Justice Department experts to evaluate cases, Trump has rerouted the clemency process through aides, donors, and loyalists, dismantling the guardrails designed to prevent abuse.
Whistleblowers who raised concerns about politically motivated pardons report being sidelined or forced out, while the volume and brazenness of these actions continue to grow. What was meant to be an exceptional corrective power has been normalized into a personal tool. Under Trump, loyalty is more important than the law and access takes priority over innocence.
Tell Congress to investigate Trump’s pardon pipeline and protect the integrity of American justice now, before more damage is done.
Thank you for demanding accountability now — before Trump announces the next round of pardons rewarding lobbyists and loyalists.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
