On Tuesday, President Trump pardoned sports and entertainment executive Tim Leiweke, who was indicted in July for allegedly rigging the bidding process for an arena at a public university in Austin, Texas. Leiweke, the co-founder of Oak View Group, had pleaded not guilty and was slated to stand trial next year. The pardon, posted on a justice department website, represents the fifth one granted by Trump to powerful individuals in the past week, with no official reasoning provided. The indictment alleged that Leiweke’s actions deprived the university and taxpayers of the benefits of competitive bidding.
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President Trump has pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, who were indicted on federal charges related to bribery allegations. Trump announced the pardon on social media, claiming the prosecution was politically motivated due to Cuellar’s opposition to certain policies. The charges included accepting bribes from an oil and gas company and a Mexican bank. Cuellar and his wife faced numerous counts including conspiracy and money laundering, but the pardon allows him to move forward.
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President Trump’s pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted of drug trafficking, has drawn criticism from within his own party. Several Republican senators expressed confusion and concern, citing the mixed message sent by pardoning a convicted drug trafficker while also threatening action against drug trafficking in Venezuela. Some lawmakers, such as Senator Rand Paul, questioned the logic and potential consequences of the pardon, considering Hernandez’s role in facilitating the movement of hundreds of tons of cocaine. Trump’s recent pardons, including those of individuals convicted of financial crimes and January 6th rioters, have reignited debate about the scope of presidential pardon power, with some calling for constitutional amendments to limit its application.
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President Donald Trump recently pardoned Joseph Schwartz, the operator of a multi-state nursing home chain who was convicted of a $38 million employment tax fraud scheme. Despite being sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay fines and restitution, Schwartz will now be freed after serving only three months. Schwartz’s actions involved running several Arkansas nursing homes into the ground, resulting in poor care for vulnerable residents and state takeovers of two homes. This pardon has drawn criticism, particularly from Arkansas officials like Attorney General Tim Griffin, who previously condemned Schwartz’s exploitation of Arkansans and Medicaid fraud.
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A man pardoned by former President Trump after the January 6th Capitol riot has been arrested in Florida. Andrew Paul Johnson, 44, is accused of molesting an 11-year-old boy on multiple occasions. According to an affidavit, Johnson attempted to bribe the child by gifting him an iPhone and claiming he would receive $10 million and be included in his will due to his involvement in the January 6th events. Johnson had previously pleaded guilty for his actions during the riot but was later pardoned.
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Andrew Paul Johnson, who received a pardon from former President Trump for his involvement in the January 6th Capitol riot, has been arrested in Florida on charges of child molestation. The arrest came after a months-long investigation and involved allegations of Johnson attempting to silence the victim, using the potential payout from his Jan. 6 involvement as leverage. Johnson was accused of committing lewd and lascivious acts on the child. Further investigation revealed that Johnson had expressed an intent to include the child in his will, allegedly to prevent him from revealing Johnson’s actions.
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Following a 2021 commutation from a previous fraud conviction, Eliyahu “Eli” Weinstein has been sentenced to 37 years in federal prison for defrauding investors. The US district judge Michael Shipp also ordered Weinstein to pay over $44 million in restitution. Weinstein’s recent conviction involved a scheme where he and others falsely promised investors access to deals with medical supplies and other goods, resulting in approximately $35 million lost to investors. This marks Weinstein’s third fraud conviction in a New Jersey federal court, adding to a history of fraudulent activities and previous prison sentences.
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The Justice Department recently replaced pardons posted online after it was discovered that they contained identical copies of President Donald Trump’s signature, sparking scrutiny and questions. The agency attributed the error to a “technical error” and staffing issues, however, the original versions raised concerns due to their identical signatures. Despite the controversy, legal experts maintain that the use of an autopen or an electronic signature does not affect the validity of a pardon as long as the president’s intent is clear. This incident comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s clemency decisions, especially those benefitting political allies and individuals claiming victimization.
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The Justice Department replaced pardons online that initially featured identical copies of President Trump’s signature, attributing the error to technical and staffing issues. Experts confirmed the signatures on the original documents were identical, raising questions about their authenticity. The administration insisted Trump signed all pardons personally and blamed the error on a “technical” problem, despite Trump’s criticism of his predecessor’s use of an autopen. Legal experts maintain the identical signatures do not affect the pardon’s validity.
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Trump re-pardons a Jan. 6 defendant to erase unrelated gun conviction, and it’s certainly a development that raises a lot of eyebrows. It’s hard not to notice the layers of complexity and potential implications that come with this action. We’re talking about a situation where a pardon was essentially doubled down on. The original pardon related to the defendant’s involvement in the January 6th Capitol riot. This is what you would expect. However, this re-pardon is aimed at wiping away a completely separate conviction – a firearms charge that stemmed from a different set of circumstances. It’s a bit like giving someone a “get out of jail free” card twice, even when the initial card should have been sufficient.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood