Trumps pardon czar warns of scammers demanding money for presidential get-out-of-jail card

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson warned of scammers asking for money in the booming clemency industry, where a presidential pardon can cost millions.Johnson, who was named by Trump as his pardon czar in February 2025, said she became aware that fraudsters were pretending to be her and asking for cash in exchange for clemency assistance.“If someone contacts you claiming to represent me and asks for money or sensitive information, please report it immediately to law enforcement,” she wrote in a post on social media.“People seeking a second chance deserve hope – not exploitation.

Please help me warn others.”She said neither she nor the pardon office would ever ask for money for a clemency “processing fee.” She said she would never guarantee presidential review in exchange for cash.The White House shared an email that claimed to be from Johnson but was a fake.The lengthy missive to a pardon applicant praised the person, saying “Your account raises serious questions about proportionality, rehabilitation, and the circumstances surrounding your conviction and sentence.”It then promises to have the case “to the Mr President within two weeks” if the person provides a number of personal information, including their passport and case files.

In her social media post, Johnson directed people interested in a pardon to the Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney and warned them not to send money, photos or personal information to the scammers.Clemency clients have paid firms and fixers millions to advocate for their pardons.None of the money goes to President Trump, but a massive pardon industry has grown around his presidency. Johnson, 71, was serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug conviction when Trump commuted her sentence in 2018.

He granted her a full pardon in 2020.She is now a criminal justice reform activist.She has brought pardon cases before the president in both his terms in office, and ...