Justice Department Appointees Halted Inquiry Into Gentile Commutation

Overview

• Sunday reporting said federal prosecutors in Brooklyn opened an early-stage criminal probe into how David Gentile’s commutation was obtained and that the inquiry was later stopped by Trump appointees.
• Investigators reportedly collected jailhouse communications in which Gentile discussed payments of about $2.5 million or more to people or companies to help obtain clemency.
• Sources named intermediaries, including the Rev. Frank Mann, as part of conversations about lobbying the president, and Mann has denied involvement to reporters.
• The Justice Department defended its actions through spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre, saying prosecutors acted within enforcement priorities and that procedures were followed.
• The reporting ties the Gentile case to earlier coverage of a broader pardon-intermediary practice and could prompt renewed calls for oversight over how clemency requests are handled and who gains access to the president.