Mo Strategies, a firm linked to former President Donald Trump, is lobbying the White House for presidential pardons on behalf of its clients [1].
The activity raises questions about the intersection of private profit and the exercise of executive clemency. By leveraging connections to the former president, the firm creates a paid pathway for individuals seeking to avoid or erase criminal penalties.
Mo Strategies was started by former Trump campaign and administration officials [1]. The firm operates within the Washington, D.C. lobbying hub, where it seeks to secure clemency for clients in exchange for substantial fees [1].
According to a CBS News investigation, the firm's first client paid $500,000 for pardon lobbying services [3]. Other reports indicate that fees for such services can reach as high as $5 million [4].
This commercialization of the pardon process follows a trend of high-stakes legal maneuvers in the digital asset sector. Crypto-related pardons have already wiped out more than $1 billion in fines [4].
The firm continues to utilize its proximity to the former president to facilitate these requests. While the White House holds the sole authority to grant pardons, the involvement of a paid intermediary suggests a structured effort to influence that decision-making process [1].
“The firm is lobbying the White House for presidential pardons on behalf of its clients.”
The emergence of a specialized firm to lobby for presidential pardons suggests the formalization of a 'pay-to-play' model for executive clemency. By attaching specific price tags to the pursuit of a pardon, the process moves away from traditional legal petitions toward a commercial transaction based on political access.
