Clemency for Political Allies and Connected White-Collar Offenders Accelerates

Trump issued pardons and other clemency to a number of politically connected figures and white-collar offenders, including former sheriff Scott Jenkins, who had been convicted of accepting bribes in exchange for law-enforcement appointments.

The pattern of clemency grants raised concerns that pardons were being extended based on personal or political loyalty, influence and access to the president rather than through a transparent, standardized review process, touching on longstanding norms governing the use of the pardon power.

The pardons were issued and took effect; a later Wikipedia account (dated January 2026) tracks the broader pattern of clemency actions across the administration.