WASHINGTON (ABC4) – A former US Attorney for Utah is among a group of Trump allies that are reportedly being paid by those hoping President Donald Trump will pardon them.
The New York Times reports that, according to documents and interviews with lobbyists and lawyers, some close to Pres. Trump have been “collecting fees from wealthy felons or their associates to push the White House for clemency.”
Brett Tolman, who served as a United States Attorney for the District of Utah from July 2006 to December 2009 as well as counsel in the Senate Judiciary Committee for committee chairs Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Arlen Spector (D-Pennsylvania), is allegedly among those who have profited from this.
According to the Times, Tolman, who has been advising the White House on pardons and commutations, has collected tens of thousands of dollars recently to lobby for clemency for numerous individuals.
Among those are former Republican senator Tim Hutchinson, who has reportedly paid Tolman at least $10,000 for a pardon for his son, Jeremy, a former Arkansas state lawmaker who pleaded guilty in 2019 to accepting bribes and tax fraud.
Tolman, who also served as Elizabeth Smart’s family attorney, is credited with helping secure a pardon for Jared Kushner’s father, Charles, a real estate developer who was convicted of tax evasion, witness tampering, and campaign finance violations, according to the Times.
The report says Tolman has also received $20,000 to seek a commutation for Dina Wein Reis, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in 2011, and $22,500 to seek clemency for Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, an online black market best known for selling illegal drugs.
Tolman tweeted on Friday, saying in part that he has “represented many to get clemency.”
ABC4 did not immediately receive a reponse to a request for comment from Tolman.
For more on this, visit the New York Times.
