Trump pardons criminals with MAGA credentials or big money

Two reality stars, a MAGA-aligned sheriff and a former nursing home executive with a well-connected mother recently joined the list of President Trump's clemency recipients.The big picture: Though early in his second term, Trump's pardons mark a continuation of his first-term trend of granting clemency to political loyalists. He's not the first president to pardon political allies, but his clemency actions signal strong messages about his priorities.His second-term clemency actions started with a controversial avalanche of pardons for Jan. 6 rioters and commutations for members of extremist groups the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers.Since then, several loyalists and wealthy allies have received relief for white-collar crimes.Driving the news: Trump said on Tuesday he plans to pardon reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley who were convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud in 2022.Savannah Chrisley, who has been advocating for her imprisoned parents' release, filmed an episode of "My View with Lara Trump" with the president's daughter-in-law that aired earlier this month, and spoke at the Republican National Convention last summer.Zoom out: Trump in April also pardoned Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive who was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution for tax crimes.Walczak's pardon has received particular scrutiny because of the political activity of his mother, Elizabeth Fago, a GOP donor who recently attended a $1-million-per-person fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago, the New York Times reported.And on Tuesday, Trump issued a pardon for a former Virginia sheriff, Scott Jenkins, whom a jury convicted on federal fraud and bribery charges last year.Trump wrote on Truth Social that Jenkins and his family had "been dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden DOJ" — a statement reminiscent of his own contention that the cases against him were politically motivated by a "weaponized" Justice Department.In his sentencing memorandum, Jenkins' attorneys wrote that he "adamantly maintains his innocence."Ed Martin, who Trump originally nominated to be D.C.'s top prosecutor but is now serving as Trump's pardon attorney, posted in a thread about Jenkins' pardon, "No MAGA left behind."Friction point: Martin's comment sends the message that the pardon power is being "totally and thoroughly politicized" Liz Oyer, the former DOJ pardon attorney, told PBS.The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.What they're saying: "One thing that is easy to see is, setting aside the January 6 clemencies, that there's really been a focus on grants to people who committed financial crimes," said Mark Osler, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas and a former federal prosecutor.Clemency trends within administrations are not uncommon, he noted, pointing to former President Obama's focus on clemency for drug-related charges."But one thing that we do see is that this president uses clemency for message sending about policing, about the previous administration, about financial crimes, and that's message-sending in a way that is probably stronger than we've seen with previous presidents," he said.Flashback: During Trump's first term, he gave clemency to several allies, including former chief strategist Steve Bannon, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Charles Kushner, the father of Trump's son-in-law and current U.S. ambassador to France.What we're watching: Trump has already signed dozens of pardons and commutations since taking office — on top of the 1,500-plus Jan. 6 defendants — which is toward the high end at the start of a presidency in recent decades.Former President Biden, who pardoned his son and signed preemptive pardons for relatives near the end of his term, set a presidential record.Catch up quick: Alice Marie Johnson, who was pardoned by Trump after having her life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense commuted under his first term, was appointed "pardon czar" in Trump's second White House. "I think that what a lot of people hope is that Alice Johnson, who received one of those worthwhile pardons in the first Trump administration, will be a forceful voice for everybody else — that is those who don't have access to the president at parties and other events," Osler said.He added, "I just have to hope that within the White House, there's someone who will be the advocate for those people, the ones who are not wealthy, but who really changed their lives."Go deeper: "F--k it: Release 'em all": Why Trump embraced broad Jan. 6 pardons

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