Boosie Badazz Says He Paid $600K to Get a Trump Pardon That Never Happened

Boosie Badazz is taking legal action against a pair of political operatives he says he paid to facilitate a pardon from President Donald Trump. According to a report from NOTUS, Boosie has started an arbitration claim stating that Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, two far-right political operatives and lobbyists at JM Burkman & Associates, were paid $600,000 to secure the pardon. 

Boosie is trying to recoup half of that payment, as stipulated in a contract NOTUS reviewed. The report states that on New Year’s Day, Boosie (born Torrence Hatch) received a call from his lawyer, who said that they had secured him a pardon signed by President Donald Trump. The act of clemency would have saved him from an imminent sentencing hearing for possessing a firearm as a felon. But the pardon never arrived. 

The firm describes itself as a firm that represents “hundreds of clients across various sectors,” and specializes in government relations, advocacy and political consulting. JM Burkman & Associates is an Arlington, Virginia-based lobbying and political strategy firm founded by conservative political operative Jack Burkman. 

In a statement to NOTUS, JM Burkman & Associates said that “no provision to return half the fee was ever actually agreed to.” This is the first known arbitration taken against a pardon lobbyist or firm during Trump’s second term. NOTUS also says “Boosie’s legal actions underscore the high-stakes pardon economy that’s taken shape as Trump returned to the White House and fundamentally changed how pardons are decided.”

Wohl allegedly told Boosie’s criminal defense attorney, Meghan Blanco, that MAGA influencers like Mike Cernovich, Jack Posobiec, House Speaker Mike Johnson, GOP Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Erika Kirk had all endorsed a pardon for Boosie.

On Monday, July 13, Boosie slammed Burkman in a post on X (formerly Twitter.)

"I GAVE U 3 MONTHS TO SEND MY MONEY BACK‼️TALKING ABOUT TRUMP SIGNED THE PARDON.,” Boosie posted. “GOT ME RUNNING AROUND THE DAM HOUSE JUMPING 😜😜SAYING U JUST TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT ‼️ U PLAYED WITH THE WRONG ONE .IM SUING YALL N FEDERAL COURT NOW."

Although Boosie posted that he intends to sue in federal court, NOTUS reports the current dispute is being pursued through arbitration.

Burkman told TMZ,  "Boosie has no reason to be unhappy. In 30 years of lobbying, I doubt we have ever done more work and harder work. The provision in the contract he is referencing was never agreed to at all. The other factor is that Boosie's quest for a pardon was made much tougher by an arrest for an alleged crime of violence in Texas earlier this year. We tried very, very hard."

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