Rapper Boosie’s Pardon Promise That Wasn’t: A Simple Guide to a Big Mess

What Happened on New Year’s Day?

On New Year’s Day, a rapper named Boosie Badazz (his real name is Torence Hatch) got a phone call from his lawyer with what sounded like amazing news.

• About three months earlier, Boosie had paid two men $600,000 to help him.
• Those two men told his lawyer on the call that they had gotten Boosie a pardon (a special paper from the president that wipes away certain crimes) signed by President Donald Trump.
• If true, this pardon would have erased Boosie’s federal criminal record for having a gun as a person with a past felony (a serious crime) and would have saved him from a soon-coming court sentencing.

But here’s the catch: that pardon never actually showed up.

Boosie Fights Back in Court

Since the pardon didn’t happen, Boosie is now taking legal action against the two men:

• Their names are Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman.
• They are far-right political helpers (called operatives) and lobbyists (people who try to influence the government) at a company called JM Burkman & Associates.
• Boosie wants half of his $600,000 back, as a contract (a signed agreement) says he should get if no pardon came by a deadline. NOTUS (a news outlet) looked at this contract.
• So far, Wohl and Burkman have said no to giving the money back.
• They told Boosie’s arbitration lawyer (a lawyer for a private court-like fight), Jill Craft, that costs went too high.
• They also said they were basically out of money (bankrupt) in text messages NOTUS saw.

Important Point: JM Burkman & Associates told NOTUS that “no provision to return half the fee was ever actually agreed to.” This is the first known legal case against a pardon lobbyist during Trump’s second term.

The Big Picture: A “Pardon Economy”

Boosie’s case shows a strange and risky world that grew around Trump’s pardons.

• In past presidents’ times, the Justice Department (the main law group of the U.S.) ran the pardon process and picked good candidates to show the president.
• Under Trump’s second term, that normal process is mostly gone.
• Now, a few White House aides decide who gets looked at for pardons.
• The president has the final say, and his pardon power is almost total for federal crimes.
• Because of this, a “clemency economy” (clemency means mercy like a pardon) grew outside the White House.
  • People with Trump ties sell their influence (their ability to talk to the right people) to those wanting pardons.
  • Millions have been paid to lobbyists, lawyers, and pardon helpers.
  • No one really checks who is making money or if they can do what they promise.

Typos, Name-Dropping, and a Weird Deal

Boosie first asked “pardon czar” Alice Marie Johnson (a person in charge of pardon ideas) for help at a Black History Month event, but heard nothing back.

• He then heard good things about Burkman’s firm from others, saying they got nine pardons.
• But public records show only one client they registered to lobby for (Joseph Schwartz) got a pardon, and not until last November.
• Boosie agreed to their help in late September. Both signed a contract on Sept. 30.

The contract was messy:

• It had many typos.
• It said Boosie could get part of his fee back if no pardon by “close of business” Jan. 31, 2025 — but that date was a mistake; both sides meant 2026.
• Three pardon experts (not on Boosie’s team) said such a refund guarantee is very unusual. They saw the short time as a warning sign because pardons are unpredictable.

Burkman’s firm says it did huge work for Boosie and “cannot think of a single client for whom our firm has done more work.” The arbitration (private legal fight) is still going.

Name-Dropping and “No Juice”

From September to January, Wohl and Burkman texted Boosie’s lawyer mentioning Laura Loomer (a Trump ally) and said she could help. They also claimed many famous people endorsed Boosie’s pardon.

• But when NOTUS asked, many said they never did: Erika Kirk’s rep said she doesn’t know him; Mike Cernovich said he never advocated; Speaker Johnson’s office denied any link.
• One pardon advocate they named said he never spoke to them and called it “a lie.”

Wohl and Burkman are known more for stunts than success:

• They tried to make up bad stories about Robert Mueller and Pete Buttigieg.
• In 2022, they pleaded guilty in Ohio to illegal robocalls targeting Black voters.
• They owed millions in fines (over $5M from FCC, $1.25M to New York).
• Their firm reported $3.2M in lobbying money in 2025, including Boosie’s $600K.

They told Boosie a pardon was “in hand” on New Year’s Eve, but a White House aide later said they never saw his application. A White House official said the team “has never heard from Wohl or Burkman” and their help “will actively harm” pardon chances. One person close to the process said: “They’ve got no juice.”

By March, with no pardon, they said they were “essentially bankrupt” and asked for more time. The business ended in March.

Where Things Stand Now

• Boosie’s own lawyer sent a separate pardon request to the White House; it is under review but not linked to the lobbyists.
• In January, a judge gave Boosie 10 days time served and 3 years supervised release for the gun charge.
• He now faces possible loss of that release after a May incident.
• His lawyer Craft said people in bad spots hope for help, and “unfortunately… there are people who… prey on it.”

Summary

Boosie paid $600K to Wohl and Burkman for a Trump pardon that never came. He is now in arbitration to get $300K back per contract. The case shows a wild “pardon economy” under Trump where unregulated lobbyists promise big things, often with no proof. The two men have a history of tricks and debts, and the White House says they had no role in pardons. Boosie still hopes for clemency but faces more legal trouble.

FAQ

Q: What is a pardon?
A: A pardon is like a forgiving note from the president that can cancel or erase a federal crime from your record.

Q: Why did Boosie need a pardon?
A: He was a felon caught with a gun, which is a new federal crime, and a pardon would have cleared that and stopped his sentencing.

Q: What is a lobbyist?
A: A lobbyist is a person paid to talk to government folks and try to get them to do something, like support a pardon.

Q: Did the two men ever return the money?
A: No. They refused, saying they were bankrupt and costs were high, and their firm says no refund was agreed.

Q: Is Boosie’s new pardon request with the White House the same as the lobbyists’?
A: No. His lawyer sent her own directly, and it is separate from what Burkman and Wohl claimed to do.