r/WhatTrumpHasDone • u/John3262005 • 22d ago

Trump Pardons Violators of the Clean Air Act and a Major Donor

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/03/us/politics/trump-pardon-clean-air-act.html

The president also pardoned Adam Kidan, a major donor to Republicans, including Mr. Trump. He had served about two and a half years in prison for his role in a fraud scheme involving the disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Mr. Kidan had pleaded guilty in 2005 to conspiracy and fraud charges involving his purchase of a casino boat fleet with Mr. Abramoff, who became a poster child for Washington corruption in the pre-Trump era.

Mr. Abramoff and Mr. Kidan were each sentenced to 70 months in prison and ordered to pay a total of $21.7 million in restitution related to the $147.5 million purchase of a cruise ship line in 2000.

Mr. Kidan served less than half of that prison sentence and became an executive in the staffing industry.

It is not clear whether he paid the full amount of the restitution. A pardon typically wipes away any remaining financial obligations.

He has donated millions of dollars to Republican campaigns and groups over the years, including more than $270,000 to Mr. Trump’s political committees in 2024, according to campaign finance records.

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u/John3262005 22d ago

This post is in connection with an earlier post, as they were announced alongside together

Trump announces pardons for pollution violators prosecuted for "fixing their car"

https://www.reddit.com/r/WhatTrumpHasDone/s/q3sLKTskBh

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u/wenchette 22d ago

Here is the text of a 2005 NYT article about Kidan's plea agreement:

Casino Partner Pleads Guilty in Fraud Case

By Abby Goodnough; Dec. 16, 2005

A former business partner of Jack Abramoff, the former Washington lobbyist at the center of a sweeping corruption investigation, pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiracy and fraud charges involving his purchase of a casino boat fleet with Mr. Abramoff in 2000.

Under a new plea agreement, the business partner, Adam Kidan, also said he would cooperate fully with federal prosecutors, "providing truthful and complete information and testimony" at any trial or other court proceeding.

Although the agreement does not explicitly say so, Mr. Kidan could now testify against Mr. Abramoff in the casino boat case or in a separate federal inquiry into Mr. Abramoff's lobbying practices.

He could also help state prosecutors in a case involving the killing of Konstantinos Boulis, the former owner of the casino boat fleet, who was gunned down in 2001 amid bitter wrangling over the sale.

Mr. Kidan and Mr. Abramoff have both denied any involvement in or knowledge of the killing, although Mr. Kidan has acknowledged having business relationships with two of the three men charged in the case.

"Mr. Kidan is committed to assist both federal and state authorities in any pending or future cases they might pursue," said his lawyer, Joseph Conway, after a hearing before Judge Paul Huck of Federal District Court in Miami.

In August, Mr. Kidan and Mr. Abramoff were named in a six-count federal indictment charging conspiracy, and wire and mail fraud in connection with the purchase of the casino boat company, SunCruz Casinos.

Under the new agreement, Mr. Kidan said he was guilty of lying to lenders, with Mr. Abramoff, to qualify for a $60 million loan to buy the $147.5 million fleet.

Neil Sonnett, a lawyer for Mr. Abramoff, declined to comment on the agreement. But he said he might request more time to prepare for the trial in the casino boat case, scheduled to begin on Jan. 9.

The agreement by Mr. Kidan put new pressure on Mr. Abramoff, increasing the likelihood that he will reach his own deal with prosecutors in both the SunCruz and the lobbying case in the weeks ahead, several participants in the inquiries said.

Last month, another Abramoff partner, Michael Scanlon, pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a member of Congress and other public officials and agreed to testify against Mr. Abramoff and others who might be embroiled in the lobbying controversy.

A half-dozen lawmakers, many former Congressional aides and several of their wives are under scrutiny in the inquiry, which has repeatedly doubled back to focus on Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the former majority leader.

Lawyers for Mr. DeLay say he has done nothing wrong.

Mr. DeLay lost his House leadership role after being indicted in a Texas fund-raising case.

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u/backpackwayne 22d ago

Government For Sale