Foto: Associated Press President Donald Trump talks to the media before he boards Air Force One for a trip to Los Angeles to attend a campaign fundraiser, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned Paul Pogue, a construction-company owner who pleaded guilty in 2010 to underpaying his taxes by nearly half a million dollars.
Pogue’s son and his daughter-in-law have donated over $200,000 to Trump’s campaign since August, the Daily Beast reported, citing Federal Election Commission filings. Their previous donations to Republican campaigns did not surpass $10,000, the report said.
On Tuesday, Trump pardoned and commuted the sentences of nearly a dozen people, including former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois.
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned a construction-company owner whose family donated over $200,000 to his presidential campaign.
Paul Pogue pleaded guilty in 2010 to underpaying his taxes by nearly $500,000 and received three years‘ probation.
Trump pardoned and commuted the sentences of nearly a dozen people, including former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, who was convicted of attempting to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat.
Citing Federal Election Commission filings, the Daily Beast reported that Pogue’s son, Ben Pogue, the new CEO of Pogue Construction, and Ben’s wife, Ashleigh, had donated over $200,000 to the Trump Victory PAC and Trump’s official presidential campaign since August.
Ben and Ashleigh Pogue donated $135,000 to the Trump Victory PAC in August, and Ben Pogue made an in-kind air-travel donation of about $75,000 in September, the Daily Beast reported.
FEC statements show that each maxed out their individual donation limit for Trump’s presidential campaign, donating $2,800 for the primary and $2,800 for the general election. The couple also made donations amounting to over $150,000 to the Republican National Committee.
The couple had donated to Republican campaigns before, but those did not match the sum of their Trump donations, according to the Daily Beast: They donated a few thousand dollars to Paul Ryan’s congressional campaign in 2017 and $5,400 to Rick Santorum’s presidential run in 2016.
Trump had previously made controversial pardons, particularly within the military, overruling top officials to pardon US service members accused or convicted of war crimes.
CRI0ST0IR on February 19th, 2020 at 12:04 UTC »
And people still think hes not corrupt?
zehalper on February 19th, 2020 at 11:00 UTC »
Do crimes, pay money to Trump, get pardon.
I hope you guys get a fair election, despite what Republicans want.
Jabarumba on February 19th, 2020 at 11:00 UTC »
Of course he did. He's making sure that everyone, everyone in the world, knows that he is open for business. American justice and favors can be bought. The line forms to the right, far to the right.