The U.S. was investigating a potential "bribery-for-pardon" scheme in involving a federal convict, two intermediaries, and White House officials as recently as August, a federal judge in Washington revealed in a court filing Tuesday.
The 18-page document, from Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell and dated Aug. 28, was heavily redacted, revealing none of the people involved. But it did indicate that federal prosecutors were investigating whether the intermediaries secretly lobbied White House officials for a pardon or commuted sentence, and a parallel scheme in which a pardon or "reprieve of sentence" would be traded for a potential political contribution. The convict apparently seeking clemency was imprisoned as recently as this summer.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
New Year's Eve: UK events and celebrationsThe Week Recommends Start 2025 with a bang by watching the best fireworks and extravaganzas around the country
-
Five festive cocktails for Christmas 2024The Week Recommends Serve seasonal cocktails for an extra special gathering
-
Octopuses could be the next big species after humansUNDER THE RADAR What has eight arms, a beaked mouth, and is poised to take over the planet when we're all gone?
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
