Democratic Senator Peter Welch of Vermont and Representative Dave Min of California have escalated their oversight of President Trump's clemency powers, sending formal inquiries to 17 individuals who received pardons or commutations. The letters, dispatched Thursday, demand details on whether the president granted these acts of leniency under what the lawmakers describe as suspicious, pay-to-play circumstances.
The list of recipients, released by Min's office, includes high-profile figures such as Trevor Milton, founder of Nikola Corporation, and Changpeng Zhao, founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Milton, convicted in December 2023 for securities and wire fraud, was pardoned by Trump in March 2025. Federal prosecutors had sought approximately $661 million in restitution from Milton for defrauding investors.
According to the lawmakers, Milton and his wife donated $1.8 million to Trump's 2024 campaign fund, raising red flags about the timing and motivation behind the pardon. Similarly, Zhao, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating anti-money laundering laws and served four months in prison, received a pardon in October 2025. The Democrats are probing whether these donations influenced the president's decisions.
In their letters, Welch and Min are pressing the recipients for specific information: whether they hired attorneys or lobbyists to seek clemency, whether they or their representatives communicated with the Trump administration or its affiliates, and whether they or related parties made donations to Trump's campaign or associated political organizations. Recipients have been asked to respond by May 22.
The investigation reflects growing concerns about the integrity of executive clemency under the Trump administration. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment, but no response has been provided as of publication.
Min, who serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus's anti-corruption task force, is joined by Representative Raul Ruiz of California in sponsoring the probe. Welch, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, previously served on the House Oversight panel during his tenure in the lower chamber.
In a joint statement, Min and Welch articulated their rationale: "Executive clemency has historically been understood as an act of grace exercised in the interest of justice and the public welfare, but it cannot become a tool for political favoritism, corruption, or pay-to-play dealings." They added, "At a moment when Americans are already losing faith in our institutions, Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversight and ensure that no one, including a sitting President, is above accountability."
This probe comes amid broader scrutiny of Trump's use of executive power. For instance, Trump's FEMA Review Council has proposed sweeping changes to federal disaster response, while overcrowding and deaths in detention facilities highlight the administration's aggressive immigration policies. Additionally, Trump's reliance on real estate moguls for diplomacy has raised questions about conflicts of interest, paralleling the concerns raised by the pardon probe.
The investigation is likely to intensify political battles on Capitol Hill, as Democrats seek to hold the administration accountable amid a polarized political landscape.
