Trump Pardons Wealthy Criminals in Exchange for Donations

Former federal prosecutor warns Trump is profiting from a "boom business" of pardoning donors.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Former federal prosecutor Brendan Ballou warns that President Donald Trump has been handing out pardons to wealthy criminals in exchange for donations to his campaign and inaugural fund. Ballou says at least 18 people and companies that donated to Trump's inaugural campaign then had their government investigations, civil litigations, or even criminal cases dropped entirely. Trump is estimated to have made over $1.4 billion from these pardon-for-profit schemes since his re-election.

Why it matters

Ballou argues that Trump's practice of trading pardons for donations is stripping away the federal justice department's ability to hold wealthy lawbreakers accountable. This raises concerns about the integrity of the justice system and the rule of law when it appears that wealthy individuals can essentially buy their way out of criminal charges.

The details

According to Ballou, Trump's own border czar Tom Homan accepted $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents in exchange for promising government favors if Trump returned to office. Since then, Trump has gutted the office that would have investigated Homan, leaving just 5 attorneys. Ballou also cited the cases of crypto mogul Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to money laundering before being pardoned by Trump, and Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web marketplace Silk Road, whose two life sentences and $184 million in fines were eliminated by Trump's pardon. Another beneficiary, Trevor Milton, was convicted of securities and wire fraud, but Trump's pardon eliminated the $660 million in restitution owed to his victims.

  • In October 2026, Trump granted a pardon to crypto mogul Changpeng Zhao, who had pleaded guilty to money laundering.
  • In 2022, Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace, eliminating his two life sentences and $184 million in fines and restitution.
  • After being convicted on charges of securities and wire fraud in 2022, Trevor Milton had his $660 million in restitution obligations eliminated when Trump pardoned him.

The players

Brendan Ballou

A former federal prosecutor who is warning about President Trump's practice of handing out pardons to wealthy criminals in exchange for donations.

Donald Trump

The former president who is allegedly profiting from a "boom business" of pardoning wealthy donors who have been convicted of crimes.

Tom Homan

Trump's border czar who accepted $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents in exchange for promising government favors if Trump returned to office.

Changpeng Zhao

A crypto mogul who pleaded guilty to money laundering before being pardoned by Trump.

Ross Ulbricht

The founder of the dark web marketplace Silk Road, who was found guilty on charges including money laundering, drug trafficking, and hacking, and had his two life sentences and $184 million in fines and restitution eliminated by Trump's pardon.

Trevor Milton

A convicted fraudster who had his $660 million in restitution obligations eliminated when Trump pardoned him.

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What they’re saying

“This is now a boom business. You know, there are at least 18 people and companies that donated money to the Trump inaugural campaign, then then had their government investigations dropped or their civil litigations dropped or in extraordinary cases their criminal cases dropped entirely. This is something that has never happened before.”

— Brendan Ballou, Former federal prosecutor (CNN)

“I think it's important for viewers to understand the administration is still prosecuting and investigating people for these same kinds of crimes, but those people have exactly one thing in common, which is they haven't donated to the Trump campaign.”

— Brendan Ballou, Former federal prosecutor (CNN)

What’s next

The Trump administration's practice of pardoning wealthy donors accused of crimes is expected to face increased scrutiny and legal challenges as the full extent of the corruption is uncovered.

The takeaway

Trump's pardon-for-profit scheme has severely undermined the integrity of the federal justice system, allowing wealthy criminals to essentially buy their way out of accountability. This raises grave concerns about the rule of law and the equal application of justice in the United States.