U.S. President Donald Trump has issued “full, complete, and unconditional” pardons to several of his former aides and allies linked to the efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, according to a statement released by Justice Department Pardon Attorney Ed Martin.
Those listed in the pardon document include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and attorneys John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, and Sidney Powell, along with Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn.
The document, uploaded late Sunday night by the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney, did not specify the date of Trump’s approval, and officials have yet to confirm when the pardons were formally signed.
According to the Justice Department, none of the individuals named have been criminally charged in connection with their post-election activities, making the pardons largely symbolic in nature.
Giuliani, one of Trump’s most prominent defenders after the 2020 election, led efforts to pressure state legislators to overturn Joe Biden’s electoral victories in key swing states. Meadows, as Trump’s chief of staff, acted as a liaison between the White House and state officials, often facilitating communications related to election disputes.
Attorneys Eastman and Chesebro were identified as key figures in formulating a legal strategy to pressure then–Vice President Mike Pence to reject the Electoral College certification on January 6, 2021, the day of the U.S. Capitol riot. Sidney Powell, meanwhile, filed a series of discredited lawsuits alleging widespread election fraud, while Epshteyn was involved in coordinating public messaging around Trump’s claims of a stolen election.
This latest round of clemency follows Trump’s earlier mass pardon order in January, issued within hours of his inauguration, which extended pardons to approximately 1,600 individuals involved in the Capitol riot. Among them, over 600 had been convicted or pleaded guilty to assaulting or obstructing law enforcement officers, while around 170 faced weapons-related charges.
The new wave of pardons—covering figures central to Trump’s post-election actions—has reignited debate over the scope of presidential clemency powers and raised questions about political accountability for attempts to subvert the democratic process.
