Hidden Camera Investigation Exposes Pardon Broker Industry

A CBS News investigation has uncovered a growing industry of pardon brokers who claim they can secure presidential clemency for clients through direct access to the White House, with fees reaching as high as $3 million. The report, based on hidden camera footage and federal records, details how lobbyists are bypassing the traditional Justice Department clemency process. In a key undercover operation, lobbyists Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl met with convicted felon Ammon Covino at a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Tysons Corner, Virginia, in mid-August. Covino, who had previously served time for illegally transporting a shark and a stingray, was secretly working with investigators. The footage shows Burkman outlining a strategy to "put pressure on the president from all directions" and offering to secure a pardon for Covino by October for a fee of $300,000. The investigation highlights a significant shift in the clemency system. A CBS News analysis of Justice Department data found that approximately 70% of President Trump's second-term clemency actions did not go through the standard Justice Department review process.