Scanlon, Welch, Blumenthal, Min Initiate Probe into Improper Influence of Cabinet Members in Trump Pardons

Scanlon, Welch, Blumenthal, Min Initiate Probe into Improper Influence of Cabinet Members in Trump Pardons

Lawmakers demand answers from HHS Secretary Kennedy and EPA Administrator Zeldin about their roles in Trump's pardon decisions for convicted fraudsters

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government, today joined Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on The Constitution, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Congressman Dave Min (CA-47), Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus' Anti-Corruption Task Force, in raising questions about the role of cabinet members in securing presidential pardons, as part of their ongoing investigation into executive clemency actions since January 20, 2025.

The bicameral group of lawmakers are looking into whether U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin used their access to inappropriately influence President Trump's decision to grant full presidential pardons to convicted felons Trevor Milton and Troy Lake.

"Public reports of high-profile individuals-including yourself-appealing directly to the President on behalf of pardon recipients risk subversion of the established pardon review processes by financial influence and political access," write the lawmakers. "Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution authorizes the President to 'grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.' The U.S. Supreme Court has characterized executive clemency as 'an act of grace' exercised for the 'public welfare.' President Trump's use of this authority appears to deviate from this traditional purpose."

The lawmakers conclude: "Congress has a compelling interest in ensuring that the constitutional pardon power is exercised with fairness and transparency. Given these circumstances, we are seeking additional information to better understand the extent to which influence and access have overridden the standard pardon review process."

In their letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the lawmakers request answers about Secretary Kennedy's reported role in President Trump's decision to pardon convicted fraudster Trevor Milton, who defrauded and misled investors regarding technology and products related to his company, Nikola Corporation. The victims of Mr. Milton's fraud include individuals who lost their retirement savings and others who had never invested in the stock market before. President Trump's pardon eliminated Milton's obligation to potentially pay $660 million in court-ordered restitution to his victims. Milton did not serve any of his four-year prison sentence.

"According to public reporting, you personally appealed to the President to grant Mr. Milton a pardon, arguing that he had been unfairly prosecuted by the previous administration's Justice Department. Days before granting Mr. Milton's pardon request, President Trump reportedly told him to call you and thank you for convincing the President to grant him a pardon," write the lawmakers. "Your reported involvement in this matter is particularly troubling, given that Mr. Milton reportedly donated $750,000 to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Political Action Committee (PAC), which was launched in late 2024 by senior members of your presidential campaign to unite your supporters behind President Trump. Public reporting also indicates that Mr. Milton and his wife donated approximately $1,800,000 to President Trump's 2024 reelection campaign a month before the election."

In their letter to EPA Administrator Zeldin, the lawmakers demand answers about the administrator's reported role in President Trump's decision to grant a full presidential pardon to Troy Lake, and a subsequent corporate pardon to Lake's company, Elite Diesel Service Inc. Lake's conviction arose from allegations that he and his company disabled the monitoring components of emissions control systems on hundreds of heavy-duty commercial trucks.

The lawmakers write: "According to public reporting, two friends of Mr. Lake petitioned you in an August 2025 email, urging you to reach out to the President to request a pardon. Mr. Lake's wife publicly attributed progress on her husband's pardon efforts to your subsequent intervention. Such progress included a phone call with Sean Hayes, a White House attorney who works closely on pardons."

The lawmakers' letters seek information from HHS Secretary Kennedy and EPA Administrator Zeldin regarding:

• The nature of their relationships with the pardoned felons;

• The process by which clemency requests were initiated and considered;

• Whether intermediaries, lobbyists, or advocates were involved;

• Any contacts with Trump Administration officials or associates;

• Their role in any other clemency decisions made by the Trump Administration;

• Whether financial contributions or payments were made in connection with clemency efforts; and

• The extent of third-party advocacy supporting the requests.

Read the lawmakers' full letters to HHS Secretary Kennedy and EPA Administrator Zeldin.

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