Top Democrats pledge investigation into Trump pardon brokers if party regains control of Congress

September 14, 2026 / 8:45 PM EDT / CBS News

Senior Democratic lawmakers vowed Monday to investigate the new market that has sprung up around President Trump's pardons, citing CBS News video of lobbyists offering to "put pressure on the president" in exchange for a hefty fee from a convicted felon.

"They've basically converted the president's pardon power into a for-profit industry," said Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee. He added that Democrats are "looking at everybody along the assembly line of clemency for cash."

The video appeared as part of a 60 Minutes investigative report Sunday that chronicled the rise of a lucrative "pardon broker" cottage industry operating around Mr. Trump's White House. The report highlighted how lobbyists and brokers are charging felons up to millions of dollars to sidestep the traditional Justice Department clemency process, using insider access and social media influencers to push presidential pardons.

CBS News used hidden cameras to expose how the pardon-broker industry operates. Ammon Covino, a convicted felon sentenced for illegally trafficking wildlife, contacted a number of pardon brokers, including the right-wing provocateurs and lobbyists Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl. Captured on video at a…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/