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President Donald Trump has pardoned yet another person who has made significant donations to his past campaigns and to Republican Party causes, casting more doubts upon the legitimacy of his use of the constitutionally unchecked power.

Adam Kidan, a key figure involved in the Jack Abramoff fraud and lobbying scandal, served a prison sentence of around two and a half years in the mid-2000s. A supporter of Republican causes, he has donated millions of dollars to GOP campaigns over the years — including over a quarter of a million dollars to Trump-backing political action committees in the 2024 election.

Kidan, who has also hosted fundraising events at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, recently gave $2,600 to the campaign of incumbent Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pennsylvania), whose seat is considered one of the most competitive in the nation for the 2026 midterms. That donation occurred on June 30. On July 3, Trump issued his pardon of Kidan.

The pardon likely means that Kidan will not have to pay back much of the $21 million in restitution payments he was ordered to make following his sentencing. Kidan has thus far paid little of that amount (if any) despite living a life of luxury.

The pardon from Trump to Kidan follows other acts of clemency from the president during his second term. Indeed, the pattern is so noticeable that even some right-wing voices are calling it out.

Under Trump, Corruption and Governance Have Become........

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