Pardon for Profit: How a MAGA Mega-Donor Bought Clemency for Her Tax-Fraud Son

 

Trump Pardon Scandal Exposed: Million-Dollar Fundraiser Tied to Tax Fraud Clemency

Donald Trump is once again at the center of a scandal—this time involving a shocking pardon tied to a massive fundraiser. Just one month after Elizabeth Fago attended a $1 million-per-person MAGA fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, her son, Paul Walczak, who had pleaded guilty to serious tax crimes, received a presidential pardon from Trump.

And the details only get more damning.

According to a New York Times report, a pardon request for Walczak was filed shortly after Trump took office. The application explicitly highlighted Fago’s political donations and support for Trump and the GOP. It even claimed, without merit, that Walczak’s prosecution was a politically motivated "witch hunt." The reality? Walczak admitted guilt to failing to pay employment taxes and not filing personal income tax returns. He withheld $7.5 million from his workers but failed to remit those funds to the IRS.

Like Trump and so many in his orbit, Walczak acted as though the rules didn’t apply to him—while everyday Americans shoulder their tax responsibilities.

Walczak was sentenced to 18 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay over $4 million in restitution. But thanks to Trump’s pardon, he will serve no time and is relieved of paying what he owes. Justice has been bulldozed.

Not long after the pardon request, Fago showed up at Mar-a-Lago for a private dinner with a $1 million price tag. Less than three weeks later, her son was granted clemency. The timeline speaks for itself.

Fago wasn’t a casual supporter either—she helped host at least three Trump fundraisers and was present at both of his inaugurations. Some reports even link her to the right-wing plot to leak Ashley Biden’s stolen diary during the 2020 campaign.

This is clear-cut quid pro quo. For any other president, this could have spelled impeachment and removal. But with Trump, it’s just another day in a long pattern of corruption and self-dealing.