INFLUENCE PEDDLING

Trump Pardons Were Brokered by Orthodox Jewish Groups: NYT

Trump doled out clemency based on recommendations by a loose collection of lawyers, lobbyists, and activists tied to two powerful Jewish groups that worked with Jared Kushner,

President Trump relied heavily on a network that revolved around two influential Jewish organizations tied to Jared Kushner to determine who would get pardons, according to an investigation by the New York Times. The Aleph Institute and Tzedek Association, which are tied to influential lawyers including Alan Dershowitz, Brett Tolman and Nick Muzin used what the Times calls a “combination of access, influence and substantive expertise they brought to bear produced striking results.”

Of the 238 total pardons and commutations granted by Trump in the last days of his presidency, 27 went to people supported by Aleph, Tzedek and those who worked with them. A further 13 clemency grants were supported by Alice Marie Johnson, an advocate whose own drug conviction was pardoned by Trump, who worked closely with Aleph, according to the report. In contrast to former president Barack Obama, who issued 1,700 more clemency acts chosen through a Justice Department process, the Times says Trump’s pardons and commutations bypassed that process and were “instead awarded through an ad hoc system run by a handful of White House aides, with assistance from outside advisers.”