Justice Department recently investigated a suspected 'bribery-for-pardon' scheme involving White House

Peter Weber

December 2, 2020, 12:56 PM·1 min read

The U.S. was investigating a potential "bribery-for-pardon" scheme in involving a federal convict, two intermediaries, and White House officials as recently as August, a federal judge in Washington revealed in a court filing Tuesday.

The 18-page document, from Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell and dated Aug. 28,, was heavily redacted, revealing none of the people involved. But it did indicate that federal prosecutors were investigating whether the intermediaries secretly lobbied White House officials for a pardon or commuted sentence, and a parallel scheme in which a pardon or "reprieve of sentence" would be traded for a potential political contribution. The convict apparently seeking clemency was imprisoned as recently as this summer.

Only the president has the power to pardon federal crimes, but there is no indication President Trump was aware of the schemes. "No government official was or is currently a subject or target of the investigation disclosed in this filing," a Justice Department official told The Washington Post.

The document Howell released involved her approving a request from investigators to read certain emails connected to the scheme, ruling they were not protected by attorney-client privilege. Whatever the investigation entailed, the document shows that 50 electronic devices, including laptops and iPads, were seized. The status of the investigation is unclear.