Trump pardons entertainment executive charged by his own Justice Department

Former President Donald Trump has issued a contentious pardon to Tim Leiweke, an executive in the live entertainment industry, who was charged earlier this year by the Department of Justice, under Trumps own administration. Leiweke, co-founder of the Oak View Group, faced a federal indictment in July for allegedly manipulating a bidding process to secure a university arena contract in Austin, Texas, for his company.

At the time, Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater said the scheme had deprived a public university and taxpayers of the benefits of competitive bidding. Leiweke pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carried a potential 10-year prison sentence and a $1 million fine. However, Trump has now granted him a full and unconditional pardon, according to the publicly shared clemency document.

Leiweke, who resigned from Oak View Group following the indictment, was represented by Trey Gowdy, a former congressman and Fox News analyst, who lobbied the DOJ to dismiss the case. In a statement, Leiweke expressed gratitude: This has been a long and difficult journey for my wife, my daughter, and me. The president has given us a new lease on life, for which we will be grateful and responsible.

Previously, Leiweke had criticized Trump in a tweet that has since been deleted, calling him the single greatest Con man.

This pardon is part of a recent wave of clemency actions by Trump. Earlier, he granted full pardons to Texas Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife, clearing them of bribery and conspiracy charges filed by the Biden administration. Trump criticized Biden, claiming the Justice Department was used against political opponents, citing Cuellars stance on immigration as a factor in the prosecution.

Other notable pardons include Honduran ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez, sentenced for drug trafficking; Arkansas nursing home operator Joseph Schwartz, charged with Medicaid fraud and tax evasion; and New York private equity executive David Gentile, accused of defrauding investors of $1.6 billion. Additionally, Trump pardoned Dan Edwin Wilson, a Capitol rioter, for firearms-related charges, and his former lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Kenneth Chesebro for their roles in attempting to alter 2020 election results. Ex-New York City officer Michael McMahon, convicted of aiding China, also received a pardon.

Author: Logan Reeves