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/
Link to Sen. Welch PRESS RELEASE - Welch, Min Escalate Oversight Investigation into Trump Pardons, Demand Preservation of Clemency Records
Link to all LETTERS (inquiries) (PDF) - https://min.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/min.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/pardon_oversight_letters-merged.pdf
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