In a controversial late-term move, former US President Donald Trump issued a full pardon to a prominent sports and entertainment executive indicted by his own administration's Justice Department.
The Pardon and the Charges
On Tuesday, 20 April 2024, Trump signed a "full and unconditional pardon" for Tim Leiweke, the co-founder of the Oak View Group. The pardon was quietly posted on a US Justice Department website the following day, Wednesday. This act terminated a federal corruption case and was the fifth such pardon granted by Trump in a single week, all to influential figures and without public explanation.
Leiweke had been indicted in July of the same year. Federal prosecutors alleged he played a central role in "orchestrating a conspiracy to rig the bidding process for an arena at a public university in Austin, Texas." He had pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to restrict trade and was scheduled to stand trial next year.
Official Condemnation and Contradiction
The case against Leiweke was pursued vigorously by Trump's own appointees. Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department's antitrust division stated in July that the defendant "rigged a bidding process to benefit his own company and deprived a public university and taxpayers of the benefits of competitive bidding." She emphasised the department's commitment to holding executives accountable for cheating.
Further condemnation came from Justin Simmons, the US Attorney for the Western District of Texas, who said the "unfair business practices" made it difficult for people to "pursue prosperity." Notably, Simmons was appointed to his interim role by Trump's own Attorney General, Pam Bondi, in June, highlighting the internal contradiction of the pardon.
Gratitude and Aftermath
In a statement to the Sports Business Journal on Wednesday, a relieved Leiweke expressed profound gratitude. "I do not have the words to adequately convey my profound gratitude to President Trump," he said. "This has been a long and difficult journey for my wife, my daughter, and me. The President has given us a new lease on life with which we will be grateful and good stewards."
The pardon effectively closes a significant legal case alleging corruption in public procurement, raising immediate questions about the use of executive clemency power for individuals connected to high-level business and political circles.
