Trump pardons banker after daughter's $3.5M donation to his super PAC
Trump pardoned Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini, who faced bribery charges, after his daughter Isabel donated a combined $3.5 million to Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC.
What happened
The DOJ pardon warrant is dated 2026-01-15 (justice.gov pardon file); Herrera Velutini had received a lenient plea deal from federal prosecutors before the pardon; Forbes' Alison Durkee documented the donation timeline as part of a broader review of pay-to-play pardon patterns.
Why it matters
A $3.5 million donation to a Trump-aligned super PAC by the family of a man facing federal bribery charges, followed within weeks by his pardon. The record shows the sequence; it does not show an exchange.