Overview
- The pardon for Michael McMahon was announced Friday, wiping out his federal sentence in a case tied to alleged Chinese transnational repression.
- McMahon was convicted by a jury in 2023 of acting as an illegal foreign agent and stalking, and was sentenced this spring to 18 months in prison.
- A White House statement praised McMahon’s NYPD career, including 75 commendations and 9/11 response, and said key interviews were not disclosed and witnesses allegedly fabricated incidents.
- Prosecutors said McMahon joined a yearslong effort targeting former Wuhan official Xu Jin that included surveillance, online harassment, family pressure, and a threatening note left at the home.
- Co-defendants remain imprisoned, several others pleaded guilty, and multiple suspects are believed to be in China, while GOP Reps. Mike Lawler and Pete Sessions publicly backed McMahon and welcomed the pardon.