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Trump Pardoned Megadonor Who Supported PA Congressman

The pardon followed Kidan’s $2,600 donation to Rep. Ryan MacKenzie’s leadership PAC and raised questions about political influence, NOTUS reported.

  • On July 3, President Donald Trump pardoned Adam Kidan, a central figure in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, just three days after Kidan donated $2,600 to Rep. Ryan Mackenzie's leadership PAC.
  • Kidan pleaded guilty in 2005 to conspiracy and wire fraud, receiving a sentence that included $217 million in restitution ordered jointly with Abramoff. The pardon likely erases remaining financial obligations Kidan owed.
  • Trump campaigned with Mackenzie in eastern Pennsylvania on June 23. Mackenzie's office denied speaking with the White House about the pardon but declined to address whether the campaign would keep Kidan's donation.
  • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the administration follows a "rigorous review process" and finds it "detestable that anyone would even attempt to profit off pardons," though she did not address the donation sequence directly.
  • Presidential pardons are absolute under the Constitution, leaving Congress with no oversight mechanism. The only potential check is impeachment, requiring proof of "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
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Political Wire broke the news in New York, United States on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
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