Overview
- Democratic lawmakers, who sent letters Thursday, asked more than a dozen clemency recipients for contracts, communications, and donation records, with responses due May 22.
- Figures under scrutiny include Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, Nikola founder Trevor Milton, and nursing home operator Joseph Schwartz.
- The requests seek proof of payments to lawyers, lobbyists, and influencers who advocated for clemency, as well as records of donations to Trump or affiliated groups.
- Democrats say some pardons erased large restitution owed to victims, citing about $680 million linked to Milton and $87 million in the case of Lawrence Duran.
- The White House denies any pay-for-play, calling lobbying for pardons a waste of money and saying a robust review guided clemency decisions.