US rapper Boosie Badazz, whose real name is Torence Hatch, is now seeking £235,000 in damages from a Washington DC lobbying firm after they failed to secure a pardon for him from Donald Trump. The payment of nearly half a million pounds was made in 2025 to JM Burkman & Associates, with the promise that their experienced lobbyists would facilitate a presidential pardon related to Hatch's 2023 conviction for carrying a loaded handgun.
The incident that led to the conviction took place during a music video shoot in San Diego, where police discovered Hatch in possession of a handgun. Following a plea deal, he was handed a three-year sentence with supervised release, 300 hours of community service, and a £39,000 fine. As a convicted felon due to his earlier conviction for drug trafficking in 2011, Hatch's motivation for seeking the pardon was likely to avoid serving time.
According to reports from Notus, a US publication covering federal government affairs, the lobbying firm initially informed Hatch's legal team that Trump had signed off on the pardon and that an official announcement would soon follow. However, this claim turned out to be unfounded as no such clemency was ever announced by the White House. In fact, it is alleged that the Trump administration later denied any record of a pardon request from Hatch's lawyer.
The crux of the dispute revolves around whether JM Burkman & Associates has a contractual obligation to refund half of their £470,000 upfront fee if they failed to secure the pardon. The firm disputes this claim, insisting there was no provision for a partial refund ever agreed upon. Instead, they assert that their team conducted an extensive lobbying campaign across various US government branches and with influential politicians.
This high-profile case exposes the murky world of what has come to be known as the "clemency economy" in the United States. During Trump's second presidency, substantial sums were reportedly paid to lobbyists who claimed to have direct access to him, promising to facilitate pardons for federal crimes. The outcome of Hatch's arbitration could set a significant precedent for similar disputes, given the numerous pardons issued during Trump's tenure and the hefty fees involved in securing them.