Two Democratic lawmakers requested that the White House, Justice Department and Secret Service preserve records related to 17 clemency recipients, including EV founder Trevor Milton, to investigate possible "pay‑to‑play" or quid‑pro‑quo dynamics. Reuters reported that 96% of pardons in this term did not meet longstanding DOJ guidelines and that some petitions were routed through the Secret Service. The White House dismissed the inquiry as partisan messaging; the DOJ and Secret Service did not comment. Lawmakers say Congress has a legitimate role when credible questions about process or abuse arise.
Democrats Demand Records on Alleged 'Pay‑to‑Play' Pardons, Including EV Founder
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump signs documents as he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
WASHINGTON, June 15 (Reuters) — Two Democratic members of Congress on Monday asked the Trump administration to preserve communications and records tied to pardons and commutations issued to 17 named clemency recipients, including electric-vehicle entrepreneur Trevor Milton, amid concerns that improper access or quid‑pro‑quo dynamics may have influenced the clemency process.
Senator Peter Welch, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee from Vermont, and Congressman Dave Min, a member of the House Oversight Committee from California, sent letters to the White House, the Justice Department and the U.S. Secret Service requesting that all relevant records be retained for review. In the letters, the lawmakers said they sought to determine whether "improper considerations, including quid pro quo or 'pay‑to‑play' dynamics, may have affected the clemency process."
In letters reviewed by Reuters, Welch and Min cited recent reporting — including a Reuters analysis — as the basis for their inquiry. That reporting found that 96% of pardons in this term went to individuals who, according to longstanding Justice Department guidelines, would not ordinarily qualify for clemency. The Reuters investigation also reported that some clemency seekers, during in‑person visits with President Trump, routed pardon requests through the Secret Service rather than relying on traditional Justice Department channels.
Trevor Milton, founder of an EV startup whose vehicles never became operational, is among the 17 people named in the lawmakers' records request. A spokesperson for Milton disputed his conviction and described it as politically motivated by prosecutors during the Biden administration; that spokesperson did not respond to questions about the lawmakers' letters.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called the letters "nothing more than a sad messaging attempt, coordinated between Democrats and their media allies." The Justice Department and the Secret Service did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment about the lawmakers' letters.
The administration has defended the president's pardon power as constitutionally "absolute," saying the clemency process under Mr. Trump involves coordinated vetting by appropriate officials. In contrast, the lawmakers said the reporting raises "serious questions about whether traditional review channels were circumvented and whether established review procedures were followed, bypassed, sidelined, or inconsistently applied." They added that, while the president's pardon authority is broad, Congress retains a legitimate legislative interest when credible questions arise about process, access, or abuse of power.
Why It Matters: Congress is seeking transparency to determine whether established clemency safeguards were observed or sidestepped, and whether influence or improper access shaped outcomes for high‑profile recipients.
(Editing by Paulo Prada.)
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