President Donald Trump issued a “full and unconditional pardon” for Tim Leiweke, co-founder of Oak View Group, who was indicted earlier this year on charges of rigging the bidding process for an arena at a public university. Leiweke, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, faced a potential 10-year prison sentence and a $1 million fine. Leiweke, represented by former Rep. Trey Gowdy, had previously criticized Trump. The pardon comes amidst a series of surprising clemency moves and was announced shortly after OVG named a new permanent CEO following Leiweke’s resignation.
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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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Congresswoman Norma Torres has written a letter to President Trump imploring him not to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, recently convicted on drug trafficking charges. Torres argues that pardoning Hernández would undermine efforts against corruption and drug trafficking while betraying American families affected by his crimes. Hernández was accused of transforming the Honduran government into a tool of violence and corruption, thus, a pardon would send a dangerous message. Congresswoman Torres insists that Hernández serve his full sentence to uphold justice and support victims.
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President Donald Trump pardoned former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren, both of whom were convicted on federal corruption charges. The charges stemmed from a consulting firm, Phoenix Solutions, through which Casada and Cothren allegedly funneled money for campaign and taxpayer-funded work, including a mailer program. A White House official cited the Biden administration for over-prosecuting the men, who had been investigated during Trump’s first term. Casada confirmed the pardon, expressing gratitude for Trump’s trust, and noted the investigation began during Trump’s first term.
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House GOP asks DOJ to probe Biden autopen use to ‘void’ pardons, other actions – well, that’s certainly a headline that grabs your attention. It’s like something out of a political thriller, isn’t it? The core of the matter seems to be the House Republicans’ desire to have the Department of Justice investigate whether President Biden improperly used an autopen to sign pardons and potentially other official documents. The aim, if you can believe it, is to somehow “void” these actions. It’s a bold move, to say the least.
The immediate reaction is, of course, a healthy dose of skepticism. The very idea of undoing a presidential pardon is legally dicey, to put it mildly.… Continue reading
In a move drawing sharp criticism, President Trump commuted the prison sentence of former Congressman George Santos, who was serving time for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Trump justified the commutation by attacking a political rival while also saying that Santos had the “Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Critics have noted this act as part of a pattern of clemency for allies and prosecution of adversaries. Santos, who was released from prison, will also no longer be required to pay restitution to his victims. This action follows Trump’s past clemency acts, and has garnered swift reactions with many calling it an act of “naked corruption” and questioning its motives.
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According to reports, the White House is in discussions with Diddy’s legal team regarding a potential presidential pardon, though a final decision may depend on the outcome of Diddy’s bail proceedings. Diddy was convicted on two counts of violating the Mann Act. If bail is granted, Trump may delay his decision until after sentencing. Diddy’s legal team has filed a motion for bail, arguing that his conviction does not warrant continued detention.
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R. Kelly’s lawyer filed an emergency petition for his release, alleging that prison staff gave the singer an overdose of medication, resulting in a hospital stay for treatment of near-fatal symptoms and blood clots requiring surgery. Simultaneously, the filing claims a plot to assassinate Kelly was orchestrated by prison officials involving members of a white supremacist gang, with one inmate subsequently having a change of heart. Prosecutors dismissed the release request as unserious, while Kelly’s legal team is pursuing a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Friday.
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President Trump commuted the 50-year sentence of Lawrence Duran, a Miami healthcare executive convicted in 2011 of defrauding Medicare out of $87 million. Duran, co-owner of American Therapeutic Corp., and his co-conspirators submitted 866,000 fraudulent claims, totaling over $200 million in a massive scheme involving unnecessary mental health services. This commutation follows a previous commutation granted to another defendant in the same case. Duran’s sentence was the longest ever imposed for Medicare fraud.
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Following President Trump’s statement that he would “look at the facts” regarding Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial, 50 Cent announced his intention to contact Trump. 50 Cent believes Combs’ past negative comments about Trump could jeopardize a potential pardon, prompting his intervention. Trump himself stated that while no formal pardon request has been made, he is aware of the possibility and would consider the details of the case. Legal experts confirm the President’s authority to issue a preemptive pardon, potentially ending the trial.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood