Several Democratic lawmakers suspect that individuals may have given money in exchange for receiving presidential pardons from Donald Trump. Representatives Dave Min (California) and Senator Peter Welch (Vermont) have initiated a congressional investigation to shed light on a widely criticized practice: pardons issued from the White House to controversial figures convicted of white-collar crimes.
“This series of pardons and commutations granted by President Donald Trump raises serious doubts about corruption, transparency, and abuse of executive power,” they wrote in a detailed press release outlining their initiative.
One case under scrutiny is that of Changpeng Zhao, founder of the cryptocurrency platform Binance. Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to money laundering violations before being pardoned by Trump last year. Lawmakers are particularly interested in the connections between Binance and World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company owned by the Trump family.
Another sensitive case involves Trevor Milton, former CEO of the automaker Nikola. Convicted of defrauding investors, Milton received a four-year prison sentence before being pardoned in March 2025. Democrats point out that Milton and his wife had previously donated millions of dollars to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and related political organizations.
The Democrats suspect that some pardons may have been granted under “suspicious circumstances,” benefiting wealthy donors, political allies, or individuals with privileged access to the president’s inner circle. They emphasize the importance of holding all individuals accountable and preventing the presidential pardon from being used for political favoritism or corruption.
Seventeen individuals pardoned by Trump have been contacted or will be contacted as part of the investigation to determine if financial contributions, lobbyists, intermediaries, or personal relationships played a role in obtaining a presidential act of clemency.
“The victims are hit twice: not only do the perpetrators escape punishment, but they also no longer repay the money they owed,” said Dave Min to CBS News.
Although minority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, Democrats do not have the power to subpoena or compel cooperation from the recipients. However, they warn that these presidential pardons could become a major focus of investigation if they regain control of Congress in the midterm elections.
