By Salma El-Sakka
President Donald Trump's wave of pardons over the past two years has wiped out more than $119 million in restitution owed directly to crime victims, according to a CBS News analysis. The figure excludes nearly $120 million owed to the Crime Victims Fund and $171 million in joint restitution with co-defendants who did not receive clemency, pushing the total denied to victims and the government above $1.1 billion. Former Justice Department pardon attorney Liz Oyer previously estimated the pardons have erased more than $1.56 billion in criminal penalties.
Pardons erase millions in victim restitution
The analysis covers at least 18 clemency recipients whose restitution obligations had ties to the White House. In many cases, lawyers and lobbyists advocated for pardons after making donations to Trump's campaigns. The president issued a blanket pardon for more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6 attack on his first day in office, eliminating potential restitution from those cases as well.
High-profile cases highlight pattern
Among the most prominent beneficiaries is Trevor Milton, former CEO of Nikola, who was convicted of defrauding investors. Trump's pardon erased Milton's $661 million restitution order. Milton had contributed nearly $2 million to pro-Trump political committees during the 2024 campaign. Another recipient, nursing home executive Paul Walczak, was convicted of withholding more than $10 million from employee paychecks and used some funds to purchase a $2 million yacht. He was pardoned in April 2025, weeks after his mother donated $1 million to a Trump-aligned super PAC.
White House fraud task force contrasted with pardon record
The administration has launched a "war on fraud" led by Vice President JD Vance and a new task force, but Bloomberg reports the effort largely relies on preexisting investigations. The White House also announced a $25 million whistleblower program to recover fraud proceeds. Meanwhile, the pardon record shows tens of millions of dollars in penalties from convicted fraudsters and other white-collar defendants have been eliminated.
Political backlash and future pardon plans
Democratic National Committee Deputy Communications Director Kendall Witmer accused Trump and Vance of "rampant corruption and pay-to-play politics" for bailing out wealthy donors. The White House is reportedly considering broad preemptive pardons for staff and allies, with Trump allies urging pardons for "everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval Office." Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu warned such blanket pardons for uncharged crimes are legally untested. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis stated the president exercises his constitutional pardon authority at his discretion.
