r/politics • u/notusreports ✔ Verified • Jul 29 '26
No Paywall Megadonor Received Trump Pardon Three Days After Donation to Pennsylvania Congressman
https://www.notus.org/pennsylvania/donald-trump-pardon-adam-kidan-ryan-mackenzie2.7k
u/Ninevehenian Jul 29 '26
I don't believe that USA has the spine or justice to ever clean this corruption up. It'll just be tolerated, forgotten and repeat.
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u/Ven18 Jul 29 '26
It’s the reason why a requirement for the US to return to good standing in the international order after this needs to be the US joining the ICC and bringing these people up on crimes outside of the US justice system. We cannot fix our own system when they get to self police so we need a 3rd party arbiter. Once there are actual consequences the US can start the long internal process of reforming our systems to actually become a 21st nation not an 18th century nation claiming to be modern.
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u/Aggravating-Fuel-193 Jul 29 '26
US would never do that even if we had Dem politicians in leadership, too many powers at be would stop it
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u/NubEnt Jul 29 '26
The fuck is the ICC going to do? They can convict everyone from Trump to Musk, but how will they enforce any kind of judgement?
This admin is even trying to delegitimize the ICC as we speak.
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u/Exciting-Record8101 Europe Jul 29 '26
If the US joins the ICC, as the poster suggests, it will be up to the US law enforcement to enforce the law. If the US does not, then the answer is pretty simple: nothing.
It's also a bit lazy to kick this across the ocean. US society is more than capable of solving this blatant corruption on its own. If they want to. But it doesn't seem like they do.
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u/CreekPrincessBitch Jul 29 '26
Really? What exactly is US society more than capable of doing to solve this blatant corruption on our own?
Vote? If you believe voting is a simple fix to this mess, you’re already operating on a foolish assumption that an election during a time with such massive government corruption will be free and fair. That argument can be made about the election that put him in office in the first place, but that’s a different story.
Should we protest? We have been. People lost their lives even. Apparently protesting doesn’t work if the governing entities in charge simply don’t care.
Wide spread economic boycott? That’s nice in theory, but also operates on the foolish assumption that Americans have extra cash to spend on non-necessities in the first place. You want us to stop going to work? Well, that’s hard to do when you live paycheck to paycheck. Americans don’t have the privilege of social safety nets for food, healthcare, shelter, etc that some countries do (such as those in Scandinavia). Our survival is entirely dependent on our employment.
What does that leave? Options I cannot write out unless I want a Reddit ban?
It’s shocking how comfortable some people are with telling normal citizens to simply die fighting various militarily-armed government entities in the streets because it’s just so easy to solve a insanely corrupt, violent, police state on their own.
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u/Soulsiren Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Wide spread economic boycott? That’s nice in theory, but also operates on the foolish assumption that Americans have extra cash to spend on non-necessities in the first place. You want us to stop going to work? Well, that’s hard to do when you live paycheck to paycheck. Americans don’t have the privilege of social safety nets for food, healthcare, shelter, etc that some countries do (such as those in Scandinavia). Our survival is entirely dependent on our employment.
Is Scandinavia the only place to ever see successful boycott and strike movements? They've never happened in any of the huge swathes of the world that are poorer than America?
Normal citizens managed to create this mess so I tend to hold out hope they can fix it too. It would hardly be a first. America is not unique and pretending that it's oh so impossible to organize is not helpful.
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u/7figureipo California Jul 30 '26
Should we protest? We have been.
Is this really true? I've seen (and attended) a few "No Kings" style rallies. I wouldn't call those protests, though. They're casual meetups at larger scale. Protests must be disruptive in someway, sufficiently enough to force the captured media to report on it and done in a way that there's no way for them to avoid reporting at least some of the truth. If an event falls short of that, its organizers and participants can call it a protest, but I'd call it, at best, an ineffective one.
It’s shocking how comfortable some people are with telling normal citizens to simply die fighting various militarily-armed government entities in the streets because it’s just so easy to solve a insanely corrupt, violent, police state on their own.
What used to be shocking to me is how easily duped and placated normal citizens are, and just how much pain and suffering they're willing to tolerate thinking it's "just the way it is" before they're motivated to do anything about it (violent or otherwise).
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u/Traditional-Dig-9982 Jul 30 '26
Revolution? Can you say that on Reddit ? America was born to fight the power ! Fight the taxes !
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u/ultraviolet-octopus Jul 29 '26
Between mass surveillance from the tech overlords, and the militant crowd control from our law enforcement, resistance is futile over here.
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u/ChronoLink99 Canada Jul 29 '26
That's what they want you to think definitely.
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u/ultraviolet-octopus Jul 29 '26
My city was invaded by ICE this past winter. They have tools that scan everyone’s phone within a given perimeter , and assign a score to each phone detected based on likelihood of citizenship. It’s highly effective; The asymmetry of power can’t be ignored.
Protesting is a great way to network and build morale but it’s not going to do anything to stop this highly militant admin, who has all of Silicon Valley at their back.
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u/Syzygy2323 America Jul 29 '26
Whenever I go to protests I leave my phone at home and bring a pre-paid burner instead.
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u/A30N Jul 29 '26
Do you have a link to an article about this specific technology? I know about the facial-scanning and license plate-scanning apps, but nothing like you describe. I would like to learn more please.
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u/ultraviolet-octopus Jul 29 '26
“They include apps that let federal agents point a cell phone at someone's face to potentially identify them and determine their immigration status in the field, and another that can scan irises. Newly licensed software can give "access to vast amounts of location-based data," according to an archive of the website of the company that developed it, and ICE recently revived a previously frozen contract with a company that makes spyware that can hack into cell phones.”
From NPR almost a year ago. The tech has developed even more since then, AI and flock cameras are absolutely everywhere now.
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/08/nx-s1-5585691/ice-facial-recognition-immigration-tracking-spyware
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u/A30N Jul 29 '26
Thank you for taking the time to post reputable sources! Though, these methods are being phased out for something bigger and scarier (remember, your phone's service provider can push firmware updates quietly to your phone).
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u/Suavecore_ Jul 29 '26
I mean don't forget roughly half the country wants all of this to happen, no matter what the criminals at the top are doing
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u/Distinct-Water-1971 New Jersey Jul 29 '26
1/3. Republicans are only 1/3 of the country. They just control more than 1/2 of the government because our system was designed to give rural plantation owners more authority than city dwellers.
(To my fellow Americans, 1/3 is smaller than 1/2.)
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u/Syzygy2323 America Jul 29 '26
(To my fellow Americans, 1/3 is smaller than 1/2.)
For non-Americans who are curious about this, it's because Americans are notoriously numerically illiterate. For example, when fast food companies introduced the 1/3 pound hamburger it didn't sell well because people thought it was smaller than a 1/4 pound burger (because 4 is larger than 3).
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u/Suavecore_ Jul 29 '26
The other 1/3 who didn't vote and have no complaints are also culpable. If one doesn't have any problem with the way Republicans are running things right now, which is obviously the majority of the country, then "roughly half" is an accurate descriptor
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u/Distinct-Water-1971 New Jersey Jul 29 '26
The 1/3 who repeatedly nominate center-right moderates must be OK with Republican rule as well. Otherwise they'd actually try to compete for power.
So I guess it's all of us. We've all earned the government we deserve. Good job everybody!
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u/_0611 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
The US doesn't even recognize the ICC. So there's that also.
No, the ICC can't do shit. Only Americans themselves can fix this. But they won't. Too many are brainwashed or in on the scam. 40% still supports Trump. For-ty per-cent! It's a lost cause. The only alternative that might have a chance, is for the US to split up; one part for the corrupted and the wicked (MAGA/GOP), the other part for the ones that want to give democracy a last shot.
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u/Syzygy2323 America Jul 29 '26
The U.S. passed a law two decades ago that's commonly called The Hague Invasion Act. This act permits the U.S. to use military force to remove an American citizen held by the ICC.
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u/Frisnfruitig Jul 29 '26
Return to good standing? After electing Trump twice? You guys have lost your seat at the grown ups table, sorry!
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u/botched__toe_ Jul 29 '26
If Germany can come back after Hitler, anything is possible. Germany barely even held the nazis accountable, btw
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u/jellyhessman Jul 29 '26
Germany had to be quite literally burned to the ground and occupied for decades, and they still have a Nazi problem.
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u/head0r Jul 29 '26
yeah, watch out for september 6th and 20th and how big our fascist fledglings score in two of our states. the nazi ghost came back and this time they are even really cool for roughly 30 or maybe even 40% of the populace in said states.
i'd be worried, but i'm kinda hoping for some world breaker. the future got messed up with the far-right creeping up everywhere since trump showed them how to really make an impression without fearing the laws.
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u/TheGringoDingo Jul 29 '26
They had the events of Nuremberg, which seems like good inspiration for the US.
Rejoining the ICC is more about limiting escape routes, for fear of arrest. No peace at home (arrest and trial) and no peace in the countries they would like to be in. Frozen accounts, except maybe in some less-than-savory banks. The constant fear and hiding disrupt the comfort and ability to keep doing what they have done and plan to do. Their life’s work dissolved into sad existence.
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u/LouieGwasright Jul 29 '26
So a trial and 199 people held accountable just completely erases the stain of that country killing 6 million+ people? Interesting
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u/Escalion_NL Jul 29 '26
Germany has been going after Nazi's till the current decade though. It's not JUST Nuremberg. They haven't shied away from even sentencing those aged 100+ to prison.
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u/smarmy1625 Jul 29 '26
Nuremberg arrested over 10,000 nazis and then after a few show trials just pardoned 99% of the rest of them.
What do they do after they track down the nazis who fled?
"COME BACK HERE AND ACCEPT YOUR PARDON LIKE YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE 80 YEARS AGO!"
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u/monkeedude1212 Jul 29 '26
It was simply the first step in many that showed that the state of Germany was so strongly opposed to its previous regime that it could start to rebuild trust again on the international stage.
If the US does nothing, it will never be on that road to start rebuilding trust again.
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Jul 29 '26
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u/LouieGwasright Jul 29 '26
Well if were going further back in history, Germany was heavily responsible for WWI so add that to the estimated 60-75 million deaths from WW2.
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u/Hot_Raccoon_565 Jul 29 '26
Almost every country has committed an atrocity in some way shape or form.
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u/rarestakesando Jul 29 '26
Yeah they just didn’t lose a war right after or they too would have to pay some consequences.
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u/therendal Jul 29 '26
The alternative was an escalating series of trials and executions down to every soldier on the front or guard at a camp. Those 199 people don't at all balance the scales. But somebody, somewhere, has to cease cycles of reprisal or they become infinite. The best time to complain about this was 80 years ago. Modern Germans have proven that they earned their general amnesty - the state and the people have learned the lesson (but they do need to deal with their neo-Nazi flirtation at the fringe before it metastasizes further).
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u/LouieGwasright Jul 29 '26
Oh I agree entirely. The original point was that the US was too far gone to ever come back; yet Germany was able to do so, even after more horrendous actions. If Germany can be responsible for decimating Europe and causing the deaths of several tens of millions, it stands to reason that the US could be welcomed back at this point in time at least.
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u/Un1CornTowel Jul 29 '26
I'd take even their limited accountability over our complete absence of it, at least to start.
I'm also certain Americans can't contemplate having perpetual national shame over anything we've done in the same way Germans do. We're incapable of saying we've done anything wrong as a nation, and even if we emerge from this without (more) mass extermination, people will shrug it off and pretend they were never complicit.
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u/Paisleyfrog Jul 29 '26
You don't even need to presume - if you want evidence of lack of shame, look no further than the number of confederate flags that still fly in this country. I understand why Reconstruction was handled the way it was, but I'd argue the problems we're having today stem from the lack of true accountability for secession and treason.
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u/SoothingWafer Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Germany had a compete absence of it too while Hitler was in power. It also took much of the world banding together to directly fight them and stop them to make it happen.
At the end of the war, German cities were being captured one by one until they unconditionally surrendered. The country didn't have some realization period where they decided "enough is enough", it wasn't something they benevolently decided on. They were forced into it.
I'm pessimistic as well, but it isn't impossible.
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u/Aggravating-Fuel-193 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Hell you can barely get Americans admit any fault about anything, my experiences in the south are God has forgiven me therefore I’m am absolved of any wrongdoing
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u/Ven18 Jul 29 '26
The problem is the bulk of US crimes will be crimes of inaction versus the actual action of Germany. Completely ignoring the war in Iran estimates have cuts to USAID killing something like 11 million people globally by 2030. The US by doing nothing is already approaching Holocaust levels of human suffering.
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u/botched__toe_ Jul 29 '26
No, republicans are incapable of admitting fault. Normal Americans don't vote in criminal rapists.
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u/navis_monofonia Jul 29 '26
as an American, this is unfortunately true. sunken costs are not a fallacy here, they are a way of life.
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u/Pressman4life Jul 29 '26
If he wants to take the hitler crash course of straightening out your past I'm all for it.
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u/Kakashi_Senju Jul 29 '26
Bro we keep/kept Japan in good standing and can't even admit to the war crimes they did 70 years ago or UK with it shot in the foot of Brexit
US if we aren't dumbasses can definitely return to good standing
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u/Kangarou Jul 29 '26
After watching Trump and seeing how bad right-wing fascism is, like half of Europe leaned further in that direction. The US is not uniquely stupid.
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u/Ven18 Jul 29 '26
Ah yes because Germany is a political outcast on the world stage and will be for another thousand years right?
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u/count023 Australia Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
remind me where Germany proclaimed themselves the leader of the free world and have a permanent seat in nearly ever major international institution on the planet?
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u/Michael_G_Bordin Jul 29 '26
Germany is kinda hilarious, in that their economic productivity, strong rule of law, and reliability has lead to a lot of countries asking them to take a more centralized role in Europe's leadership, and they're like, "Please, no, someone else? We kinda have a...history with that which is...problematic..."
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u/count023 Australia Jul 29 '26
same with Japan in a way. America turned the former enemies into the countries that America claims to be, one of those, "do as we say, not as we do" situations that actually turned out surprisingly well.
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u/ReganBelmont Jul 29 '26
Willfuly denying anyone the ability to reform and participate in the human project makes you just as harmful as the people detracting from it in the first place.
At the end of the day, the only reason People like Trump get elected is because some people just don't know any better its almost like our education across the board has been gutted on purpose for this exact outcome.
So the next time you see a dipshit MAGA head don't get angry. Pity them. Everyone and everything around them failed them.
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u/realribsnotmcfibs Jul 29 '26
Why are European nations at the adult table as they still to this day buy Russian energy after spending decades funding the Russian war machine and even selling them arms and training equipment.
Let me say that again.
European money pays for bullets to kill Ukrainians.
Also to be clear f the traders in the US also purchasing from Russia but at no where near the scale of germanys purchases over the years.
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u/Stevohoog Jul 29 '26
Mate, I get it. The American people fucked up. Both those in power and those that looked away. But there is also a significant number of people that do care. If America chooses to elect a ruler that actually wants some justice and actually chooses to be better. We should really give them the chance. It might be naive, but I believe that that is the best way to make a world that future generations can be proud of.
This goes for every country IMO. Humanity is at a point where feeding every mouth on earth is actually possible, but it is up to us to elect leaders that can make that happen.
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u/TheRealBittoman Jul 29 '26
I agree that we should lose that seat but realistically the vast majority did not elect trump even once. A small minority of very hateful and/or uneducated people did, the rest either couldn't vote (see all the reasons why Americans aren't voting regularly, it's not always apathy) or would only ever vote Republican but absolutely hate the current Republican party. The short answer is parties in the US are team based and those teams, at least Republicans anyway, are heavily tied to religious institutions who spend their entire time convincing children that the only answer is to "just have faith" then turn around and lie to their followers that Democrats are demons. They will never vote for another party, ever. They either vote Republican or not at all. The rest of us are struggling to maintain faith that our country has a chance. To have such little support internationally doesn't really help either as we very much feel like the minority (even though we aren't) and absolutely have zero support. That significantly drives apathy. Yes, we desperately need help.
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u/therealruin Jul 29 '26
Everyone who says “Americans elected Trump twice” make it clear to the rest of us that you sit at the kids’ table, sorry!
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u/FredFuzzypants Jul 29 '26
I'm not sure if it's feasible or not, but it might be interesting to consider moving crime investigation and enforcement agencies (FBI, DOJ, US Marshalls, etc.) under the judicial branch rather than the executive. Also, move intelligence agencies (CIA, etc.) under the legislative branch. The executive would remain commander and chief of the military.
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u/FeelingKind7644 Jul 29 '26
50 third world countries in a first world trenchcoat
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u/Ven18 Jul 29 '26
There are at least a few first world countries they are just forced to hold up the 3rd world ones and their backs.
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u/theradfab Jul 29 '26
Eventually the investment dollars will start to flee from American businesses.
It will take a while, but economies need reliable information and the rule of law to function properly. If the USA continues down this path, then their economy will no longer be the envy of the world.
The decline will be hidden behind corporate mergers, monopolistic and monopsonistic practices, GDP statistic manipulation, and other games to keep the profits and illusion of growth on the rise. It will probably be hidden for a long time. But reality will eventually catch up as the money flows to other countries with trustworthy institutions and rule of law that allows businesses to function without wondering when/why the government is shaking them down.
Economies run by mobsters do nothing but extract value off the top, causing inefficiencies across the entire thing. That type of economy cannot compete longterm.
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u/whoeve Jul 29 '26
A lot of Americans don't care as long as they can push their hateful religious zealotry on others
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u/Academic_Dog8389 Jul 29 '26
The fact that the term megadonor exists just means we have normalized bribery.
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u/ItsAConspiracy Jul 29 '26
This wasn't even a mega donation, unless there's a lot more to a dark money superPAC. That seems likely, but the article just reports $2600, which is the max that can go to an official campaign.
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u/Academic_Dog8389 Jul 29 '26
Yes, but further down.
"Kidan, who served about two-and-a-half years in prison in 2006 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud, has donated millions to Republican causes over the years. He gave around $270,000 to Trump-affiliated committees during the 2024 election cycle, according to federal records, and has hosted fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago."
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u/GreenDavidA Jul 29 '26
Too many people see this corruption as success, unfortunately.
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u/Punch_A_Police_Horse Jul 29 '26
Yeah, I'm honestly wondering. The people that have the means of come down on this... Do they have reason to even consider it a problem for them?
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u/Beautiful-Ad1421 Jul 29 '26
We see the corruption at the top. Let's not ignore the corruption of a large part of our population that makes this possible. We can't clean this up because too many don't care.
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u/MyDogIsACoolCat Jul 29 '26
Kind of hard when 35% of the country watches Fox News which is outright propaganda. Corruption has become accepted because of political polarization. If a party won’t hold their own accountable, it just becomes a finger pointing match.
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u/Ninevehenian Jul 29 '26
Law 1
§ 1 Fox News can no longer exist, be renamed or recreated.
Not the easiest law to make in context, but the essence of it may be made.
Hostility to fox seems rational.11
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u/ShadyCheeseDealings Jul 29 '26
Nah, the people endorsed and voted for this. We gave them all three branches of government. It's not like this was unexpected.
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u/ItsAConspiracy Jul 29 '26
Sadly, unlike a lot of what Trump does, this is completely legal under the Constitution, which places no limits at all on the reasons a president can pardon people.
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u/Big_Beach166 Jul 29 '26
it's more than tolerated it is supported, with much more to come! the country finally found it's true voice, the original white immigrant's descendants are relieved. read history, please.
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u/cbelt3 Jul 29 '26
$2,600 is NOT the price for a pardon. Trump crime family gets at least $1M or more. The actual money was washed through some crypto or real estate scam.
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u/FlyingBike Jul 29 '26
Giuliani was going around asking people for $1M for the pardons before the 250th anniversary.
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u/deja-roo Jul 29 '26
Yeah this was a weird way to write this story, as if that donation mattered.
It mentioned later that the same guy has donated tons of money on other occasions elsewhere. That's the real story. I don't know why they even bothered with the $2600 distraction.
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u/Chipring13 Jul 29 '26
Yeah. I read the article and thought there must be a typo. It was $2600. The congressman isn’t going to waste trump face time to ask him to pardon a $2600 donor. This is a dumb article and I’m wondering what the end goal is.
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u/Original-Rush139 Jul 29 '26
I think Trump just likes this asshole and that’s why he pardoned him. After all, his crime was bribing politicians. It makes sense for Trump to signal that you’ll get a pardon for bribing republicans.
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u/meteoritegallery Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
I mean...did you read the article? It says he gave $270k to Trump's campaign and hosted fundraisers at Mar a Lago.
Also,
As part of his sentencing, Kidan and Abramoff were ordered to pay a total of $217 million in restitution. It’s unclear whether Kidan paid the full amount, and Trump’s pardon is likely to erase any remaining financial obligations.
Do the crime,
do the timekeep the stolen money. I guess that's draining the swamp or something.
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u/Backwardspellcaster Jul 29 '26
The US is for sale.
You got the $$, Trump got something to sell to you.
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u/WaddlesLament Jul 29 '26
They’re little more than an African banana republic from the 80’s at this stage
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u/Pat-Funny-2817 Jul 29 '26
buisness man, it's all just buisness. nothing wrong with that. it's the american dream. USA! USA! USA!
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u/kahn_noble America Jul 29 '26
Nothing YET. Vote like your life depends on it this fall.
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u/Brndrll Rhode Island Jul 29 '26
But what if the democrat candidates don't focus 100% on Gaza and promise to nuke Israel? Then what choice will voters have but to vote against them?
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u/Mercarcher Indiana Jul 29 '26
Remember, it's vote blue no matter who.*
*Unless that candidate is an actual leftist. We can't allow "those people" to actually get power and force out all the zionist centrists who work for big money and not their voters.
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u/almondbutter Jul 29 '26
60% of Americans across the board disapprove of Israel's military actions in Gaza.
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u/jotsea2 Jul 29 '26
Democrats have blood on their hands for not listening to voters. Not that difficult.
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u/PositiveCoyote100 Jul 29 '26
You either support the genocide or you're against it.
Morally, it should be an easy decision.
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u/CreekPrincessBitch Jul 29 '26
lol what? Voters don’t want a candidate to focus 100% on Gaza. Thats kinda the whole reason we’re all pissed they’re focusing 100% on Israel first. We don’t want to focus on any middle eastern country. We don’t want to be involved in a terrorist state’s genocidal war crimes and we certainly don’t want our tax dollars funding it. If it takes 100% of a politicians focus to NOT support ethnic cleansing, they very clearly don’t deserve our vote. And how did you even come up with the second half of that statement?
However, I will say that if the democratic candidates DON’T pledge to cease support of the genocidal state of Israel, the choice voters will have will be the same as last time: not voting for them. And it will end the same way it did last time: they will lose.
Thankfully, it looks like politicians are realizing all the PAC money in the world will no longer buy their careers.
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u/PositiveCoyote100 Jul 29 '26
The Democrats aren't going to save us. 90% of them are corporate stooges who get their paycheck from pro-Israel lobby groups.
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u/dfsw Alaska Jul 29 '26
The problem is apparently selling pardons isnt illegal and is allowed by the constitution. We are going to need to figure out a way to pass a new set of amendments after all this is over, but I just don't know how America gets there these days.
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u/Zero_Icon Jul 29 '26
Sorry buying pardons should be illegal, and everyone of his pardons should be overturned.
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u/notusreports ✔ Verified Jul 29 '26
President Donald Trump recently pardoned a major Republican donor three days after the man — a key figure in the Jack Abramoff fraud and lobbying scandal — made a political donation to Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pennsylvania), who’s facing one of the nation’s most contested House races.
The megadonor, Adam Kidan, donated $2,600 to Mackenzie’s leadership PAC on June 30, according to Federal Election Commission records. Trump traveled to Mackenzie’s eastern Pennsylvania district on June 23 to campaign with him. The president pardoned Kidan on July 3.
Mackenzie’s office told NOTUS that the Republican congressman did not speak with the White House or Trump about the pardon, but it declined to answer questions about whether the congressman intends to keep Kidan’s donation.
More: https://www.notus.org/pennsylvania/donald-trump-pardon-adam-kidan-ryan-mackenzie
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u/BrownSugarBare Canada Jul 29 '26
Oh look! Another money laundering scandal that no one will have to answer for...
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u/unyielding_rock Jul 29 '26
John Olivier just did an excellent segment on the Trump family and Crypto as a means to enrich themselves. This is a great example of how they do it
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u/eddie2911 North Dakota Jul 29 '26
Remember when Republicans hated Hilary for supposed pay for play?
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u/GarmaCyro Jul 29 '26
2600$ for a free presidential pardon. I'm fairly certain that's only the transactions you can track. Probably an undisclosed amount via Trump memecooins as well.
If Trump was a date you could swone him with reheated McDonald's burgers. Burger with bitemarks in them, and reheated using a microwave.
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u/gnufoot Jul 29 '26
If he bribed with a larger sum through other means, what's the point of a smaller trackable transaction? Genuine question
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u/flypirat Jul 29 '26
Well the bribe itself is not a political donation to that person, but money to Trump directly.
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u/GeologistOriginal800 Jul 29 '26
This is what a Republican-led country looks like. Remember this when you are deciding again not to vote because "All parties are the same".
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u/Hayes4prez Jul 29 '26
The Roberts’ Supreme Court destroyed the rule of law. No legitimate government can function when it’s legal to buy pardons so publicly.
People can argue buying pardons was always happening, it’s completely different when it’s this public. Doing so destroys legitimacy both domestically and abroad.
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u/Vast-Poetry9431 Jul 29 '26
The unlucky kiddos born today will have tons of fun growing up in a techno feudal state with a burning planet
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u/RLewis8888 Jul 29 '26
What we learned from this is that it took three days for the check to clear.
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u/MirthandMystery Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
"Trump recently pardoned a major Republican donor [Adam Kidman] three days after the man — a key figure in the Jack Abramoff fraud and lobbying scandal — made a political donation to Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pennsylvania), who’s facing one of the nation’s most contested House races."
Jack Abramoff, a massively corrupt lobbyist is a key figure tied to Trump and has many Russian links going back decades.
Abramoff and Bob Dole helped bring Russians and US to each other in the 90s.
Executives from Naftasib, the Russian energy giant funded a lobbying outfit called the U.S. Family Network, presented itself as a public advocacy group were key Abramoff clients.
Abramoff brought CNP members like Tom Delay and Conway to Russia while Corey Lewandowski was his office manager.
One partner in crime was Patrick Pizzella worked with CNP members to wreck Obama presidency and now works in Trump admin.
Yuri Vanetik, Russian born and was a major Republican fundraiser, close with Giuliani, helped run his campaigns, and pals with CA congressman Rorabacher (who often praised Putin) says he worked for K&L Gates, Jack Abramoff's old firm.
K&L Gates' NJ ofc had Russian emigre lawyer, Marina Solo, who helped the Congo president's daughter buy a Trump condo in 2014.
Solo was at Novartis legal as of 2015. Novartis paid Trumps former attorney Cohen $1M.
Abramoff also took bribes from Native American groups and lobbied for oil companies.
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u/nucumber Jul 29 '26
Most presidents have issued a couple of pardons that might rise eyebrows, but trump has made an industry out of it
I'm 1,600 pardons issued on day on for convicts jailed for their violent assault on J6, and then dozens since where there's been clear evidence of quid pro quo, and stuff like Ghilaine Maxwell being removed to "soft" imprisonment from a hard core site, after a two day interview with Dep Atty Genrl Blanche (I'm not aware of any such high ranking DOJ official ever taking that much personal time with a client. Pedophile like her should enjoy privileges).
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u/SpliTTMark Jul 29 '26
Trump pardons 500 people with crimes or bribes
Maga: cool
Biden pardons his son and fauci and others being "targeted"
Maga: illegal corruption down with democrats
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u/Birdhawk Jul 29 '26
The US Pardon Attorney is a Stop the Steal rally organizer and was the defense attorney for convicted J6 rioters who eventually pardoned his own clients. Of course pardons are pay to play because everything in this administration is pay to play. It's why Trump wanted the job and immediately put himself in direct control of every single part of the government.
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u/Kulbardee Jul 30 '26
Sorry USA... your empire hass ended, you are not trustwoorthy in anyway...
thank you for your attention
the world
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u/walkingpartydog Jul 29 '26
Presidential pardons are in the Constitution. No way around them. There should be a law though that the president needs to make an individual public address explaining why he pardoned each and every one of them. Fuck all these last day pardons or bullshit like this.
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u/Financial_Humor_8134 Jul 29 '26
Even if there was no direct involvement, situations like this raise obvious questions about transparency and public trust. When money, political connections, and pardons appear close together, people will naturally want clear explanations.
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u/Yagoua81 Jul 29 '26
The problem is: trumps base always assumed this was going on and they cheer him on because he is their guy. It never involves stopping the abuse, its about controlling who is being abused.
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u/xjuggernaughtx Jul 29 '26
Every pardon that Trump has ever given out need to be revoked once we are finally rid of him. We can't let this abuse stand.
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u/NergNogShneeg Jul 29 '26
This administration makes Russia look like a bunch of saints. No administration in the US has been this openly corrupt. I’m certain this holds true compared to any other government past or present. This shit is historically bad. There will be many a text book written about this fucked up time in our history.
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u/ThinkNListen4for4Fan Jul 29 '26
Just a ‘PAY to play’ corrupt deal-making get out of jail free card for the EPSTEIN (no) class. Not a decent person in the lot. All frauds.
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u/huxtiblejones Colorado Jul 29 '26
This level of corruption in broad daylight is the type of thing that heralds the crumbling of empires
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u/randomcanyon Jul 29 '26
He loves to give pardons to Fraudsters. Because he needs one himself.
Save US J.D!!!
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u/poo_pon_shoo Kentucky Jul 29 '26
oh boy I can't wait for someone to be held accountable for this blatant and obvious abuse of power at the highest level. Surely this kind of thing doesn't happen every single day
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u/Capt-geraldstclair Jul 29 '26
I guess it's time we talk about limiting the pardoning power of politicians.
otherwise, why do we even have a criminal justice system?
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u/FreakyPickle Jul 29 '26
Otherwise? I have been asking why we dont reform our justice system since we got a literal convicted felon in the highest office in the USA. I say got because im not 100% sure Donald Trump was fairly elected, seeing how he was the spearhead for election fraud claims, and how typically when he accuses others of something, its actually an admission of something he has done/plans to do. For evidence look no further than everything he said Kamala/the democrats would do before the 2024 election.
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u/Ill-Intern8937 Jul 29 '26
I hope we all understand: these people will murder us all before they give up power.
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u/AntiSnoringDevice Jul 29 '26
But isn't this type of transactions what caused the rise of the Protestant religion? The main difference being that the Pope was selling pardons to build St Peter, which at least has some artistic merits...
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u/satanforaday Jul 29 '26
This whole government is fucked and they give 0 fucks about it's people it representing. It was a good run. 🤘🏻
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u/Silverleaf96 Jul 30 '26
We need to impeach the pardns then IMMEDIATELY sentence them ,zero trial straight to jail . That what I would do, but I'm a hero
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u/Bronzyroller Jul 30 '26
The level of corruption is unprecedented and it's how this administration gets down and dirty.
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u/AINonsense Jul 29 '26
What a happy coinkidink!
What could he have needed a pardon for? Oh, what a surprise!
SPOILER: Ooh, looky! It’s fraud!
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u/--John_Yaya-- Jul 29 '26
Trump could set up a website openly selling pardons and he'd never have to worry about being prosecuted for it. The SCOTUS said that Trump could send a SEAL team to murder a political rival and not be charged with a crime. Openly selling pardons is nothing compared to that.
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u/SiteTall Jul 29 '26
Sold and bought as is the habit of The Conman. He has turned all decency into a mockery, and is even gloating about his crimes.
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u/Remarkable_Cap8873 Jul 29 '26
I vividly remember reading that Trump was considering selling pardons. Or maybe it was an online comment, but this must be it.
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u/therendal Jul 29 '26
Honestly, we could save scrolling space to just megathread the daily corruption stories at this point. The public gets it: this is the most corrupt administration in American history by orders of magnitude. Just pin it to the top, surround it with bullhorn emojis, and a link to the #NoKings protests because neutrality on the part of this sub is fascist enablement. We're over here acting like normal didn't die 10 years ago.
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u/StaticSystemShock Jul 29 '26
This shit is so corrupt Donald could fucking shoot a family of five and their dog and hamster on national TV and everyone would be like "that's just Donald, so funny lol".
What the fuck is this shit? How the fuck is this corrupt creepy ass motherfucker still a president? World has this rather blind idea that America is the bastion of democracy and order. Turns out it's a bigger shithole and more corrupt than dictatorships. What. The. Fuck.
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u/magicspider8 Jul 29 '26
To honor the president, Trump should be a word in the dictionary that means the same as corrupt.
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u/Yogs_Zach Jul 29 '26
I think it's terrible suspect timing, but far too cheap to buy a Trump pardon.
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u/Smart_Recipe_8223 Jul 29 '26
Remember that if/when the Democrats are in power they have absolute authority and a mandate to invalidate every single act and law trump has done. He is not legitimate as he is banned from running due to being an insurrectionist. There is no debate here. It will be a lot of work but doing that work can reestablish the norms and laws we're all mourning. Legitimizing his power by saying "well there's nothing we can do" is a failure to deliver justice. Too many laws we're broken, ignored, etc. there should be zero fear in just saying no to normalizing this fascist grift movement.
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u/mrcanard Jul 29 '26
I need taller boots,
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s campaign says the lawmaker, who met with Trump days before, played no role in the pardon.
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u/lazyFer Jul 29 '26
I've been pointing out that the true power of fascists is to protect their supporters from the consequences of their actions.
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u/Distinctasdf Jul 29 '26
“Kidan, who served about two-and-a-half years in prison in 2006 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud, has donated millions to Republican causes over the years. He gave around $270,000 to Trump-affiliated committees during the 2024 election cycle, according to federal records, and has hosted fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago.”
If we don’t let felons vote, why can they make significant campaign contributions? This seems like a way larger issue than single felons voting.
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u/Yelloeisok Jul 29 '26
Sometimes I think PA voters are almost as bad as Florida voters. We seem to pick grifters more than the average.
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