Louisiana rapper Boosie Badazz is suing two conservative political operatives after allegedly paying them $600,000 to secure a presidential pardon that never materialized, according to a NOTUS report.
The pardon scam lawsuit
Boosie (real name: Torence Hatch) believed earlier this year that his bid for clemency had succeeded, three years after he was arrested on a felony firearm possession charge. His legal team told him that Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, whom he had hired to obtain the pardon, had delivered.
Instead, Boosie now alleges the pair scammed him out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Wohl and Burkman, described by NOTUS as “far-right political operatives and lobbyists at JM Burkman & Associates,” allegedly signed Boosie to a contract promising to pursue a pardon from President Donald Trump.
The agreement reportedly included a provision allowing Boosie to recover at least half of his payment if a pardon was not secured. However, the document was improperly dated for 2025, contained multiple errors and typos and JM Burkman & Associates told NOTUS that “no provision to return half the fee was ever actually agreed to.”
Paying for a pardon
The case highlights changes to the presidential pardon process under the Trump administration. While the Department of Justice has traditionally overseen pardon recommendations, NOTUS reported that “a handful of White House aides routinely guide who is considered for a pardon,” with Trump making the final decision.
Boosie initially sought assistance from Alice Marie Johnson, Trump’s pardon czar, before turning to Wohl and Burkman when he did not receive a response.
Recalling their first meeting, Boosie told NOTUS, “They were real aggressive, they were talking like they had Trump on speed dial.”
According to the report, Boosie signed a contract he believed contained a “provision that would allow Boosie to request a partial refund of the $600,000 fee if the lobbyists had not secured a presidential pardon by ‘close of business’ on January 31, 2025″— a date NOTUS noted had already passed when the agreement was signed.
Laura Loomer’s name was dropped
The operatives also allegedly claimed they could enlist Laura Loomer’s help, telling Boosie’s attorney that Loomer “is the person for the Jewish guys” and that they had tried to “rapper batch” the pardon “through the Black world.”
Boosie believed a pardon was imminent until New Year’s Eve, when Burkman reportedly texted that it was “in hand and is ready to sign.” A White House aide later informed Boosie and his attorney that no pardon application had ever been filed in his name. Boosie ended his relationship with Wohl and Burkman in March.
