First-term clemency for allies: Manafort, Stone, Kushner and Black
The second-term pattern has a history. Several first-term pardons went to people close to Trump or his campaign.
Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign chairman, was convicted of bank and tax fraud tied to millions he earned working for a pro-Russian politician in Ukraine and hid from authorities. Trump pardoned him in December 2020.
Roger Stone, a longtime Trump adviser, was convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering. Trump commuted his sentence in July 2020 and pardoned him that December. Charles Kushner, father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, had pleaded guilty to tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and witness tampering; he was pardoned in December 2020. Conrad Black, a former media owner convicted of fraud, was pardoned in 2019 after writing a book praising Trump.
Court records unsealed in December 2020 described a Justice Department investigation into an alleged scheme to offer a political contribution in exchange for a pardon. No government officials were charged.
The receipts
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U.S. Department of Justice byline on original
Pardons granted by President Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)U.S. Department of Justice byline on original
Clemency grants by President Donald J. Trump (2025-present)