{"id":2609408,"date":"2026-06-02T07:42:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T11:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/high-profile-convicts-lobby-for-rumored-pardons-tied-to-countrys-250th-birthday\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T07:45:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T11:45:22","slug":"high-profile-convicts-lobby-for-rumored-pardons-tied-to-countrys-250th-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/high-profile-convicts-lobby-for-rumored-pardons-tied-to-countrys-250th-birthday\/","title":{"rendered":"High-profile convicts lobby for rumored pardons tied to country\u2019s 250th birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhigh-profile-convicts-lobby-for-rumored-pardons-tied-to-countrys-250th-birthday%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2609408&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A reported White House idea to issue about 250 pardons to mark the contry\u2019s 250th birthday has sparked a surge in clemency efforts by high-profile, convicted figures-even as officials say the White House won\u2019t comment on potential requests.  <\/p>\n<p>The article describes how the possibility of a large pardon move has driven renewed activity from people like \u201cPharma Bro\u201d Martin Shkreli, who says his pardon submission is filed and credits the prospect of a 250-person initiative as motivation.It also highlights Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who has increasingly posted about her clemency push, including stating she is \u201cliterally and figuratively\u201d \u201clocked in,\u201d and noting she filed a request earlier this year.  <\/p>\n<p>It further connects the scramble to a broader trend: as Trump\u2019s clemency actions have expanded since returning to office, the number of clemency petitions has grown dramatically (based on Justice Department data), and intermediaries increasingly market themselves as \u201cpardon facilitators\u201d for large fees-though at least one applicant, shkreli, says he intentionally avoided that approach. Critics also point to concerns about \u201cpay-to-play\u201d dynamics and the fairness of the clemency process.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A rumored <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a> proposal to issue 250 pardons to commemorate the nation\u2019s 250th birthday is prompting a new wave of public clemency campaigns from some of the country\u2019s most recognizable convicted figures, despite uncertainty about whether such a plan is even in the works.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proposal, first <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/policy\/white-house-explores-250-pardons-to-mark-americas-250th-20fccfbc\">reported<\/a> by the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> last month, remains in preliminary discussions, sources familiar with the matter told the outlet. In turn, the murmurs of a potential clemency package have generated fresh intrigue among pardon hopefuls seeking relief from President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>, whose grants are increasingly sought through online promotions, lobbying campaigns, and people with sway over the administration.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4590247\/trump-anti-weaponization-fund-senate-opposition\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump retreats from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-doj-announces-1-776-billion-anti-weaponization-fund\/\" title=\"Trump DOJ announces .776 billion &#039;anti-weaponization&#039; fund\">anti-weaponization fund<\/a> in rare setback as GOP pushes budget bill<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4589874\/trump-pulls-plug-doj-anti-weaponization-fund\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump administration hits pause on DOJ anti-weaponization fund as legal challenge plays out<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4589874\/trump-hits-pause-doj-anti-weaponization-fund\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump administration hits pause on DOJ anti-weaponization fund as legal challenge plays out<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A White House official declined to tell the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> whether Trump is really mulling a burst of 250 pardons, adding, \u201cThe White House does not comment on potential clemency requests.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe President is the final decider on all pardons or commutations,\u201d the official added.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-pharma-bro-throws-his-hat-in-the-ring\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Pharma Bro\u2019 throws his hat in the ring<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the mere possibility of looming pardons has already triggered sharp interest from figures such as Martin Shkreli, whose decision to raise the price of the antiparasitic drug Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 per pill in 2015 made him one of the most controversial figures in corporate America and earned him the nickname \u201cPharma Bro.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shkreli was later convicted on securities fraud and conspiracy charges unrelated to the Daraprim controversy and sentenced to seven years in prison. He was released in 2022 and remains barred from serving as an officer of a publicly traded company.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martin Shkreli gained notoriety when his company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, raised the price of the anti-malarial drug Daraprim from $13.50 a pill to $750. (AP Photo\/Susan Walsh) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy pardon application is in,\u201d Shkreli <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MartinShkreli\/status\/2059272124229914740\">wrote on X last week<\/a>. \u201cI will not be paying anyone a dollar, despite dozens of people reaching out in hopes of \u2018facilitating\u2019 relief.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, Shkreli said the prospect of a large clemency initiative helped motivate him to formally seek a pardon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe fact that Trump seems to want to pardon 250 people by the 250th anniversary of the country, I think that\u2019s one of the catalysts that brought me to just finally file,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-theranos-founder-locked-in-for-clemency\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Theranos founder \u2018locked in\u2019 for clemency<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who is serving an 11-year sentence for defrauding investors, has likewise appeared more active on her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-demand-space-force-commander-be-reinstated-after-being-fired-for-criticizing-marxism\/\" title=\"House Republicans Demand Space Force Commander Be Reinstated After Being Fired For Criticizing Marxism\">official social media accounts<\/a> in recent weeks, posting an image of herself \u201clocked in\u201d with a caption saying both \u201cliterally and figuratively\u201d on May 26.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Literally and Figuratively <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jruMWdW8jj\">pic.twitter.com\/jruMWdW8jj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elizabeth Holmes (@ElizabethHolmes) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ElizabethHolmes\/status\/2059338473555755237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Holmes <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/theranos-founder-elizabeth-holmes-asks-trump-commute-her-prison-sentence-2026-01-21\/\">officially filed her clemency request<\/a> in January. But days after the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>\u2019s report about a possible 250-pardon blitz, her X account published a message focused on her desire to reunite with her children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEvery day, I fight,\u201d the post <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ElizabethHolmes\/status\/2055523330296263000\">said<\/a>. \u201cEvery breath I take is for one purpose: to move one inch closer to holding my children again, tucking them into bed at night, and feeling them safe in my arms as they sleep.\u201d The <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>was unable to contact a representative for Holmes before publication.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, center, her mother, Noel Holmes, left, and father, Christian Holmes IV, arrive at federal court in San Jose, California, on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saturday also marked the three-year anniversary of Holmes\u2019s sentencing, which she documented on her account in a post that described the milestone as the third year since she \u201csurrendered into the barbed wire, and began the hardest chapter of this fight to prove my innocence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Likewise, she even commented on Shkreli\u2019s pardon request post, responding with an image and message from the <em>Hunger Games <\/em>movie: \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ElizabethHolmes\/status\/2059286377322147899\">May the odds be ever in your favor<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\">Joe Biden<\/a> signed a host of controversial pardons and issued more than any other president in modern history, Trump\u2019s second-term clemency operation has likewise drawn criticism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lobbyists, consultants, and political intermediaries have increasingly marketed themselves as pardon facilitators, promising access to decision-makers inside Trump\u2019s orbit for substantial fees, the <em>New York Times<\/em> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/20\/magazine\/pardon-trump-washington.html\">reported<\/a> in May.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>New York Times <\/em>report described a growing scramble among <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-indicted-ex-president-to-have-fingerprinting-and-mugshot\/\" title=\"Donald Trump indicted: Ex-... to have fingerprinting and mugshot\">white-collar defendants<\/a> and other pardon seekers to secure introductions to influential figures around the president, with some consultants reportedly seeking six- and seven-figure compensation packages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shkreli said he intentionally avoided that strategy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve even had my own friends ask me for money for them to help me with the process,\u201d he told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cI thought it was pretty ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI can be my own advocate,\u201d Skreli added. \u201cI don\u2019t need somebody who will boldly claim that they can get it into the president\u2019s hands.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-trump-s-clemency-embrace-fueled-applicant-surge\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >clemency embrace fueled applicant surge<\/a><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> data, roughly 5,100 clemency petitions were filed in 2024. That figure surged to more than 16,000 the following year, when Trump took office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Office of the Pardon Attorney no longer publicly reports the number of pending petitions. The last available figures showed more than 10,000 unresolved applications before the most recent influx arrived.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The surge follows a series of high-profile clemency actions by Trump since his return to office, including his Inauguration Day pardon of approximately 1,500 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jan-6-2\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11289\">Jan. 6<\/a> defendants and subsequent relief granted to figures such as Silk Road founder <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3290906\/trump-pardon-ross-ulbricht-creator-silk-road\/\">Ross Ulbricht<\/a>, Binance founder <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/watch\/2381492\/\">Changpeng Zhao<\/a>, and Nikola founder <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4558816\/pay-to-play-pardons-trump-welch-min-ruiz\/\">Trevor Milton<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mike Davis, a close Trump ally and founder of the Article III Project, said more clemency grants would fit naturally within the administration\u2019s broader effort to address what conservatives view as government overreach, though he said he was not privy to any large pardon plans ahead of July 4.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere are a lot of people who should be pardoned,\u201d Davis told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, without endorsing or confirming the existence of a 250-person pardon initiative. \u201cThere are a lot of people who have been persecuted by our government over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4558816\/pay-to-play-pardons-trump-welch-min-ruiz\/\">DEMOCRATS INVESTIGATE ALLEGED \u2018PAY-TO-PLAY\u2019 PARDON SCHEME IN TRUMP WHITE HOUSE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Davis pointed to groups conservatives have long argued were unfairly targeted, including anti-abortion activists prosecuted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, Catholic advocates scrutinized by federal authorities, parents who protested at school board meetings, and Trump supporters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe need a hard reset,\u201d Davis said. \u201cPardons are a good way to do that. It would help restore confidence in our justice system.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rumored 250-pardon White House plan sparks new clemency bids<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2609409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26147615602792.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[33010,4198,12559,5894],"class_list":["post-2609408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-criminal-justice","tag-lobbying","tag-pardons","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26147615602792.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2609408"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2609412,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609408\/revisions\/2609412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2609409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2609408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2609408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2609408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}