Recalling that Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Stone is now engaging in pay-to-play pardons.
Reporting has linked Roger Stone to a “bustling market” where well-connected individuals brokered fees to seek clemency from President Trump. While Stone was granted a full pardon himself in December 2020 after his sentence was commuted, reports indicate he later sought to profit from lobbying for others.
Key details include:
Lobbying efforts: Stone and others reportedly engaged in a “pay-to-play” system around presidential pardons. Federal lobbying records show his firm, Drake Ventures, formally registered to lobby on pardon issues.
Specific cases:
Stone was paid $600,000 by cryptocurrency investor Roger Ver for work related to “ending the exit tax and reform of cryptocurrency tax policy” and advocating for “executive relief”. Ver ultimately resolved his case through the Justice Department and did not receive a pardon from Trump.
In another instance, Stone was recorded discussing a potential client willing to pay up to $100,000 for a pardon, stating that such arrangements were legal and he had a good chance of getting it done.
Stone also advocated for the pardon of another individual, Philip Esformes, but denied receiving any money for his advocacy in that case.
Investigations: Records turned over to the House Jan. 6 Committee reportedly included evidence of Stone’s lobbying activities, and his business dealings have faced scrutiny from federal investigators regarding unpaid taxes.
While lobbying for a pardon is legal, the situation has been described by some critics as “rotten to the core” and an example of rewarding friends and political allies rather than following the formal Department of Justice pardon process.
A Costly Example That Still Shows the Market
A separate episode highlights the scale of the money, even when the effort fails. A cryptocurrency investor and early Bitcoin adopter pursued a pardon and approached multiple Trump connected figures. His team reportedly allegedly offered contingent fees ranging from $5 million up to $30 million if someone secured clemency. The investor later allegedly hired Trump ally Roger Stone. He paid Stone $600,000 for roughly two months of advocacy work behind the scenes. The pardon did not come. The investor later resolved the matter through the Justice Department process. The lesson still lands. Enormous sums get spent chasing access alone.