Exclusive: Democrats press Trump administration over "pay-to-play" pardons

Source: Reuters

June 15, 2026 1:37 PM EDT Updated 4 hours ago


WASHINGTON, June 15 (Reuters) - Two Democratic members of Congress on Monday pressed the administration of President Donald Trump to retain communication records related to pardons granted to recipients including an electric-vehicle manufacturer ​found guilty of defrauding investors of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Senator Peter Welch, a Judiciary Committee ‌member from Vermont, and Congressman Dave Min, an Oversight Committee member from California, made the request to determine whether “improper considerations, including quid pro quo or ‘pay-to-play’ dynamics, may have affected the clemency process,” they wrote in letters to the White House, Justice Department ​and U.S. Secret Service.

The two lawmakers, citing coverage by Reuters and other media, in the letters ​reviewed by the news agency said they have been looking into the administration’s clemency ⁠efforts, which include pardons and commutations of sentences. They requested that all records be retained for 17 specific ​clemency recipients, including Trevor Milton, a businessman who was convicted in relation to a startup he ran touting electric ​vehicles that never became operational.

Last week a Reuters investigation found that 96% of Trump’s clemencies this term have gone to candidates, including Milton, who didn’t meet longstanding Justice Department guidelines for pardons. In response to questions from Reuters, a spokesperson for Milton criticized ​his conviction and said it had been politically motivated by prosecutors during the administration of President Joe Biden. ​The spokesperson didn't respond to a question about the letters from the lawmakers.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/democrats-press-trump-administration-over-pay-to-play-pardons-2026-06-15/