President Donald Trump has recently issued numerous executive clemencies, granting pardons and sentence reductions to significant business leaders, political supporters, and various allies.
There is optimism that he is just beginning.
Trump commenced utilizing his clemency authority vigorously on day one of his second term, when he pardoned nearly 1,500 individuals linked to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Presidential pardons eliminate federal criminal convictions, while commutations reduce or eliminate prison sentences, and sometimes related fines.
In the following months, those granted clemency have featured many prominent individuals, including former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, ex-Hunter Biden‘s business associate Devon Archer, Nikola founder Trevor Milton, reality stars Julie and Todd Chrisley, disgraced former U.S. Representative George Santos, and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.
On Monday, Trump granted primarily symbolic pardons to over sixty individuals connected to the attempts to reverse his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, as shared by U.S. pardon attorney Ed Martin on social media. The individuals included in this set of pardons are not currently facing federal charges tied to the 2020 election. The authority to grant presidential pardons does not apply to state-level prosecutions.
The group comprises Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former personal attorney and ex-New York City mayor, along with his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Some individuals who received clemency from Trump, including various participants in the January 6 Capitol riot, have since been charged with new offenses.
The Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney has a systematic procedure for individuals seeking clemency, and the department has defined criteria for evaluating applications. However, Trump’s administration has reportedly taken charge of much of that process, including appointing a former clemency recipient, Alice Johnson, as the administration’s “czar of pardons.”
Previous presidents have faced accusations of misusing their clemency powers, Biden included, whose late pardons for family members and preemptive pardons for others led to bipartisan backlash.
However, Trump’s method, which has occasionally favored well-known personalities and those who have expressed admiration for him, has prompted distinctive criticism.
“It’s akin to a celebrity pardon marathon,” John Yoo, a former official from the George W. Bush administration, told The Washington Post in June.
This has also led to the emergence of a niche market of attorneys and lobbyists who are charging high fees to assist their clients in seeking clemency from Trump, noted the online platform NOTUS.
Trump diminished his pardons over the summer, as White House officials grew alarmed regarding the profit motives linked to the process, NBC News reported last month. Yet, the wave of clemency acts in the prior weeks indicates that Trump currently doesn’t share those worries.
This could bode well for various notable individuals who have been considered potential recipients of pardons or commutations from Trump.
Based on public information and the president’s own statements, here are some names that might be on that list:
Ghislaine Maxwell
The Democratic minority of the House Judiciary Committee on Monday disclosed “whistleblower testimony” indicating that Maxwell, a long-time associate of infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is preparing a “commutation application” to submit to the Trump administration.
Maxwell is presently serving a 20-year sentence for procuring teenage girls for Epstein. The Supreme Court rejected her appeal of that conviction in early October.
She “has ample reason to suspect” that she “may acquire the extraordinary favor of a clemency grant from you,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., alleged in a letter directed to Trump seeking clarification.
“By pretending ignorance and distancing yourselves from the situation, you have notably refrained from ruling out clemency for her,” Raskin expressed in his correspondence.
Trump has given vague responses when questioned about the possibility of pardoning Maxwell multiple times.
When asked on October 6 whether he was contemplating a pardon for her, Trump responded, “I haven’t heard that name in ages. I can say this, I would need to look into it. I’d have to review it.”
“I will consult with the DOJ,” he mentioned when prompted to provide clarity on his stance. “I wouldn’t rule it in or out — I’m not aware of any details.”
A spokesperson from the White House, addressing the whistleblower claims made on Monday, conveyed to NBC that it “does not comment on potential clemency applications.”
“As President Trump has mentioned, granting clemency to Ghislaine Maxwell is not something he has contemplated,” the spokesperson asserted.
Lauren Hersh, national director of the anti-trafficking group World Without Exploitation, stated on Tuesday that Maxwell’s sentence “should be maintained like anyone else’s.”
“To now consider a commutation would unfortunately send a clear message to victims of her crimes — and to innumerable others who have been victimized sexually — that her influence is more potent than truth and that the justice owed to survivors can be overlooked,” Hersh remarked.
Diddy
Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ chances for clemency currently seem minimal.
Combs was sentenced to over four years in prison in early October following his conviction on two counts related to prostitution.
Following his conviction, Combs’ legal team reached out to Trump regarding a pardon, as a team member informed CNN.
“I understand that we’ve made contact and had discussions regarding a pardon,” attorney Nicole Westmoreland conveyed to the news outlet.
Trump indicated in an August 1 interview on Newsmax that he was disinclined to grant a pardon to Combs.
On October 6, Trump acknowledged that Combs’ team had reached out.
“Many individuals have sought pardons from me. I call him ‘Puff Daddy,’ [he] has requested a pardon,” Trump mentioned in the Oval Office.
After TMZ reported on October 20 that Trump was considering commuting Combs’ sentence, the White House refuted the claim, labeling the report false.
Elizabeth Holmes
Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos, was sentenced to over 11 years in prison in late 2022 for deceiving investors regarding her now-defunct company’s blood-testing technology.
Trump has not made any comments concerning Holmes, and she has not directly sought clemency, although she has maintained her stance of being “wrongly convicted of defrauding investors.”
Nevertheless, Holmes is featured in the online betting platform Polymarket’s list of potential Trump pardon recipients, with her odds currently comparable to those of Maxwell.
On Tuesday, Politico reported that individuals aligning with the pro-Trump “Make America Healthy Again” movement have expressed support for Holmes.
In late August, Holmes resumed activity on her previously dormant social media account on X. Some of her posts seem to favorably mention Trump and other administration officials, while additional posts detail her reportedly harsh prison environment.
On October 31, she contacted Santos, whose sentence Trump had recently commuted, writing, “Happy to see you’re addressing the many challenges you’ve encountered personally.”
On November 3, she reacted to a post labeling Trump as the “Best President Ever” in relation to Trump reportedly intervening to help provide medical treatment to Scott Adams, one of his supporters.
Sam Bankman-Fried
SBF is facing a 25-year prison term after being convicted in late 2023 for deceiving clients of his cryptocurrency platform FTX.
The 33-year-old and his parents are purportedly pursuing a pardon, partly by consulting a lawyer associated with Trump, as reported by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal in March. Bankman-Fried has also demonstrated more conservative viewpoints in media discussions conducted after Trump returned to office.
Trump has shown support for the crypto sector during his second term, yet there are no signs that he is contemplating a pardon for Bankman-Fried.
Following Trump’s pardon of Zhao, the fonder of crypto exchange Binance, on October 23, SBF’s odds for receiving a pardon surged on Polymarket.
In a CBS “60 Minutes” interview, when asked why he granted a pardon to Zhao, Trump stated: “Alright, are you prepared? I don’t know who he is.”
Bob Menendez
Supporters of Menendez, the former Democratic U.S. senator from New Jersey, have made various appeals to Trump for a pardon or reduction of his 11-year imprisonment, NBC reported in May.
While Trump has not ruled out clemency for Menendez, some of the ex-senator’s supporters fear that the president will ultimately choose not to grant it, according to NBC, citing sources familiar with the situation.
Menendez, now 71, was convicted of bribery and related charges in July 2024. He began his prison sentence in June.
— Contributions to this report were made by CNBC’s Dan Mangan.
