Trump Pardons Fraudsters Released in First Term Again... "Rewarding Those Who Paid His Associates"

Thirteen Individuals Pardoned, Eight Granted Commutations
Velutini, Who Was Pardoned, Donated Approximately $3.5 Million

It has been revealed that President Donald Trump of the United States has issued sweeping pardons for fraudsters who received commutation benefits during his first term, as well as for the families of his major donors.

Yonhap News Agency

According to the New York Times (NYT) on January 16 (local time), President Trump announced the list of 13 individuals to be pardoned and 8 individuals to have their sentences commuted over the course of the previous day and that day.

The pardon list included Adriana Camberos, a criminal whose sentence was commuted by President Trump before the end of his first term in January 2021. Previously, Camberos had been convicted for selling millions of bottles of counterfeit "5-Hour Energy" drinks and began serving a 26-month prison sentence in December 2019.

However, with the help of lawyers close to President Trump-Stefan Passantino and Adam Katz-whom she had hired, Camberos received a commutation and was released from prison. After her release, Camberos, together with her younger brother, committed new fraudulent acts, was convicted again in 2024, and was serving another sentence. Both siblings have now been pardoned in this round.

Wanda V?zquez, the former governor of Puerto Rico, who had been facing a one-year prison sentence from federal prosecutors for violating campaign finance laws and was awaiting sentencing later this month, was also included on the pardon list.

Others pardoned in connection with the same case included Venezuelan financier Julio Herrera Velutini and former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Mark Rossini. Notably, Velutini's daughter, Isabella, donated $2.5 million to a super PAC (special political action committee) supporting President Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, and subsequently donated an additional $1 million last summer.

Since the beginning of his second term early last year, President Trump has repeatedly exercised his pardon powers, targeting criminal cases that federal prosecutors had spent significant time building. Regarding this, the NYT noted, "President Trump continues the trend of using his unlimited pardon powers to reward those who have donated political funds to him or paid fees to his close associates, such as lawyers."