President Donald Trump stated in an interview with CBS News that he intends to issue a "huge" and "large" number of preemptive pardons for his aides, advisers, and administration staff before his term ends in January 2029.

Trump indicated he would be willing to protect staff and allies—including tech billionaire Elon Musk—from potential congressional investigations and legal scrutiny if Democrats regain control of Congress.

Trump compared his approach to preemptive pardons issued by former President Joe Biden toward his son, Hunter Biden, and members of Congress and administration officials.

When asked whether he had the authority to pardon himself, Trump stated, "Yes, I believe so," though he added that he did not currently see a need for one.

I guess, if you do what the boss says, there's no risk in breaking the law, but leave the nest and he could forget your name. It's also an invite for more grabs for bucks from outsiders willing to buy a pardon.

AI generated:

Investigations by major news outlets and congressional committees have detailed a "pay-to-play" marketplace surrounding President Trump's second-term pardons. While a president’s pardon power under the Constitution is absolute and legally unrestricted, investigative reports from Reuters and CBS News reveal that a network of Trump-aligned lobbyists, lawyers, and family insiders have built a highly lucrative industry securing clemency for wealthy individuals.
Over 70% of Trump’s second-term clemency actions completely bypassed the traditional Department of Justice vetting process. Instead, access was repeatedly secured via multi-million dollar donations, high-profile lobbying contracts, or strategic business deals.
Notable cases under scrutiny include:

1. High-Profile "Pay-to-Play" Controversies

• Julio Herrera Velutini ($50 Million Deal): A Venezuelan billionaire banker convicted of bribery hired Trump’s former personal attorney, Alina Habba. A New York Times investigation exposed a contract guaranteeing Habba’s newly registered firm up to $50 million right before Trump granted Velutini a full presidential pardon. Habba denied the employment was tied to the pardon, but reports emerged that when Trump learned of the $50 million payout, he jokingly commented it should go to his presidential library.
• Changpeng Zhao ("CZ"): The cryptocurrency billionaire and founder of Binance was granted a pardon after his company actively supported a Trump family cryptocurrency venture.
• David Gentile ($2.5 Million Alleged Fee): Gentile, convicted of a $1.6 billion investment fraud scheme, served only two weeks of a seven-year sentence before Trump commuted his time and waived his $15 million restitution fee. The DOJ briefly investigated whether an alleged $2.5 million fee was funneled to an inaugural priest to secure the release, though Trump appointees later closed the inquiry.
• Adriana & Andres Camberos ($2 Million Re-election Donation): The siblings were convicted of defrauding food manufacturers out of nearly $49 million. After the family poured millions into Trump's re-election efforts, Trump intervened to grant them full pardons.

2. The Role of "Pardon Brokers"

Undercover journalism and congressional records have mapped a clear infrastructure of brokers who actively pitch clemency access to wealthy felons:
• The MAGA Marketplace: Investigations identified roughly 290 "influencers" who charged massive fees to navigate the alternative clemency pipeline.
• The "Weaponized DOJ" Pitch: Brokers specifically coached wealthy clients to pitch their cases not on merit or rehabilitation, but by framing themselves as victims of "political persecution" or "Obama/Biden prosecutions" to appeal directly to Trump's personal grievances.
• Undercover Findings: 60 Minutes conducted an undercover operation revealing Trump-tied lobbyists explicitly quoting fees starting at $300,000 to $600,000 to deliver a guaranteed pardon.

3. Financial Consequences and Pushback

Trump's second-term pardons are unprecedented in the amount of criminal debt they have wiped clean. His actions have forgiven over $1.5 billion in court-ordered fines and victim restitutions, leaving everyday investors, small businesses, and retirees with zero legal recourse to recover stolen funds.
Because a presidential pardon only applies to federal offenses, some state prosecutors are pushing back by pursuing state-level charges against pardon recipients—such as in Arkansas, where local authorities successfully forced pardoned nursing home fraudster Joseph Schwartz into state prison despite his federal clemency.

Jeff