Trump pardons Pat Nolan, former GOP lawmaker caught up in 'Shrimpscam' sting

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

President Trump on Wednesday pardoned Pat Nolan, a former Republican lawmaker from California who was convicted in the 1990s as part of an FBI sting operation dubbed "Shrimpscam."

Nolan was elected to the California State Assembly in 1978, and served as the GOP leader from 1984 to 1988. Shrimpscam targeted politicians who used their positions to solicit illegal campaign donations, and Nolan was caught on camera accepting checks from an undercover FBI agent, the Los Angeles Times reports. He pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering, and served time in prison.

In a statement, the White House said Nolan made the "difficult choice" to plead guilty. He could have defended himself and risked "decades in prison, or he could plead guilty and accept a 33-month sentence," the White House said. "Determined to help his wife raise their three young children, Mr. Nolan chose to accept the plea." After he got out of prison, Nolan began campaigning for criminal justice and sentencing reform.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.