US rapper Boosie Badazz, legally named Torence Hatch, is reportedly seeking a $300,000 refund from Washington DC lobbying firm JM Burkman & Associates after they failed to secure a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. Hatch paid the firm $600,000 in 2025 to pursue a pardon for his 2023 federal gun possession conviction, according to a report from Notus.
Failed Pardon and Arbitration
Despite the hefty fee, a pardon was not granted, and Hatch is now pursuing arbitration to recover half the payment. The case highlights a growing trend in the so-called “clemency economy,” where millions of dollars flow to lobbyists and lawyers promising access to Trump for pardons. Federal lobbying records show the firm contacted the White House, Justice Department, and Congress on Hatch’s behalf.
The lobbyists, Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, allegedly told Hatch’s attorneys that Trump had signed the pardon and they were awaiting an announcement, but no clemency ever came. The Trump White House reportedly told Hatch’s attorney it had not received such a request.
Contractual Dispute
The dispute centers on whether the firm agreed to return half the fee if no pardon materialized. JM Burkman & Associates disputes this, stating in a statement that “no provision to return half the fee was ever actually agreed to.” Other lawyers and pardon advocates noted that refund clauses are highly unusual in such arrangements.
Background of the Case
Hatch’s gun conviction stems from a 2023 incident in San Diego, where police monitoring an Instagram Live video spotted him with a loaded pistol in his waistband. As a convicted felon—including a 2011 drug-trafficking conviction—he pleaded guilty to avoid prison time, receiving three years of supervised release, 300 hours of community service, and a $50,000 fine. The failed pardon attempt was meant to erase this conviction from his record.
Track Record of the Lobbyists
Burkman and Wohl have a controversial history. In 2022, they pleaded guilty in Ohio to running an illegal robocall campaign targeting Black voters, later settling for $1.25 million with New York authorities and $5 million with the FCC. Media reports also allege they attempted to fabricate sexual harassment claims against former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and fooled the Washington Post into reporting a fake FBI raid on Burkman’s home.
Burkman has a connection to another pardon case: in March, New York lawyer Joshua Nass was charged with extortion over an alleged $500,000 debt related to a presidential pardon for nursing home operator Joseph Schwartz, who had also hired Burkman.
According to Notus, the lobbyists told Hatch’s side they were effectively bankrupt. Hatch told Notus that when first contacted, the lobbyists “were real aggressive – they were talking like they had Trump on speed dial.” Burkman stated the firm lobbied hard, including a “massive, highly tailored advocacy campaign across Congress, the executive branch, and leading political influencers and media figures.” They also enlisted Trump ally Laura Loomer to ask executive assistant Natalie Harp to bring the application to Trump, with Wohl reportedly saying Loomer “is the person for the Jewish guys.”
