The Justice Department looked into the involvement of a top Trump fundraiser in a suspected scheme that would offer a bribe in exchange for clemency for an incarcerated psychologist convicted of tax evasion.
The alleged plan was started by a now-deceased California real estate magnate who hoped to persuade a pardon for psychologist Hugh Baras, according to ABC News.
Though neither figure is well known in D.C. circles, Abbe Lowell, who has represented Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner during the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections, was purported to be hired by billionaire GOP donor Sanford Diller, who died in 2018, to represent Baras. Lowell is not believed to be under investigation over the matter.
“Abbe came to believe there were legitimate arguments to be made that this guy shouldn’t do time. Seeking clemency is a completely normal route. The fact that he pursued that — there’s nothing wrong with it,” said Reid Weingarten, a friend and attorney for Lowell.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Diller gave $333,800 to Republican Party accounts in 2016 to help persuade White House officials to recommend a pardon for Baras, who was sentenced to more than two years in prison in 2014 for tax evasion and theft of government property.
Diller reportedly claimed the pardon was the one favor he requested in exchange for his generous donations to the party.
A federal judge in Washington unsealed heavily redacted court documents on Tuesday, disclosing the existence of the investigation into alleged unregistered lobbying and bribery.
Those involved said the investigation concerned efforts by Lowell as well as Elliott Broidy, who pleaded guilty earlier this year over charges related to a foreign lobbying scheme.
Diller allegedly sought advice from Broidy, who recommended the donor to go to Lowell for legal help regarding the clemency, according to William Buck, an attorney for Broidy.
Weingarten suspects Diller was eager to see Lowell help him secure the pardon.
“What I’m sure of is that Diller had deep affection for the doctor and was a demanding billionaire,” Weingarten said. “The billionaire in San Francisco made huge campaign contributions and had unrealistic expectations of what that meant in terms of the juice he had, which was none.”
Baras never received a presidential pardon but was released from prison in 2019.
Trump dismissed reports of the investigation into the possible scheme this week, calling it “fake news.”
