Rapper Boosie is suing 2 Washington, D.C. lobbyists for failing to secure a pardon from President Donald Trump after he paid the men $600,000.
Boosie was arrested in San Diego in 2023 for being a felon in possession of a handgun. He was sentenced in federal court to supervised release, community service and a $50,000 fine after pleading guilty.
In 2024, Boosie took to X.com to beg Trump for a full pardon on his federal case.
In his lawsuit, Boosie is asking for a $300,000 refund – half of the amount he paid to the lobbyists with alleged ties to President Trump.
Trump previously pardoned rappers Kodak Black, Lil Wayne, and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
Boosie, whose real name is Torence Hatch, paid $600,000 to lobbyists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, of JM Burkman & Associates, in 2025 to plead his case to Trump for a full pardon.
Boosie claims the 2 lobbyists told his attorneys that Trump had signed the pardon and they were waiting for Trump to announce it.
However, Trump released a list of pardons in 2025 – and Boosie’s name wasn’t on it.
The White House has since denied claims that Wohl and Burkman reached out to Trump in a statement to “The Breakfast Club” correspondent Loren LoRosa, according to eurweb.com.
“A White House official … made it clear in a statement to me that they DO NOT support the work of Wohl or Burkman and allege that anyone seeking clemency that involve these men will actively harm their chances,” she wrote on social media.
The White House confirmed that Trump is in possession of a separate clemency request submitted by Boosie’s attorney, Meghan Blanco.
According to LoRosa, the White House said, “receipt of documents should not be taken to mean anything other than documents have been received.”
The Trump administration also warned that payment to outside lobbyists doesn’t guarantee favorable action from the president.
Wohl and Burkman reportedly refused to offer a partial refund to Boosie.
LAURA LOOMER
MIKE CERNOVICH
JACK POSOBIEC
ERIKA KIRK
MIKE JOHNSON
NANCY MASE
ANDY BIGGSCAN THE NAMES ABOVE PLEASE MAKE A TRUTHFUL STATEMENT ABOUT HAVING CONTACT R NO CONTACT WITH BURKMAN N WHOL ABOUT MY PARDON PROCESS. 600k WAS TAKEN FROM ME WITH YOUR NAMES MENTIONED N EMAILS…
— Boosie BadAzz (@BOOSIEOFFICIAL) July 14, 2026
Boosie didn’t pay for a bribe he paid a lobbyist group to try to get him a pardon. Unfortunately for him legally they couldnt guarantee him favorable results. Def not getting back the whole $600k but if that retainer agreement I saw is real he has a case for $300k back
— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) July 15, 2026
The Guardian newspaper describes “a shadowy world” in D.C. where millions of dollars are exchanged for pardons from President Trump.
The money isn’t paid to Trump directly (that would be illegal). Instead, the cash is paid to an army of lobbyists, lawyers, insiders and advocates who act as channels to Trump and his administration.