Overview
- New accounts from NOTUS and other outlets describe an ever-shifting pardon pipeline that hinges on who can reach the president and craft the most compelling narrative.
- White House officials reject the characterization of chaos, asserting a defined review that includes the Justice Department, the White House counsel and Alice Johnson, with the president making final decisions.
- Sources say Susie Wiles moved to tighten optics by reducing Johnson’s direct access to the president; Johnson later caught Trump at Mar-a-Lago before a set of NFL player pardons was approved.
- Reporting tallies roughly 1,700 pardons in Trump’s second term so far, including a blanket clemency for Jan. 6 defendants and contentious grants to figures like Juan Orlando Hernandez and Changpeng Zhao.
- Multiple reports detail concerns over a burgeoning market for paid pardon lobbying and say senior aides have sought to stop people from profiting off access to clemency decisions.