Ed Martin, the former Trump administration pardon attorney, will appear on “60 Minutes” this Sunday in a hidden‑camera segment titled “The Pardon Economy,” exposing a pay‑for‑play scheme that brokers pardons for felons.
Hidden Camera Exposes Pardons‑for‑Cash Scheme
A secret contract reviewed by the New York Times shows that rapper Boosie Badazz allegedly paid $600,000 to lobbyists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, who promised a presidential pardon in exchange; the agreement allowed the rapper to reclaim half the fee if no pardon was secured, though Wohl and Burkman claim he never signed.
Martin told The Daily Wire that he sat down with Lesley Stahl for a lengthy interview, confident that his insider knowledge of Trump’s thinking made him the ideal guide for the investigation.
He argues that President Trump treats pardons as acts of mercy, not justice, citing a “Year of Trump Mercy” in 2025 during which the president granted more than 1,500 clemencies, including releases for cops, rehabilitated inmates and even the so‑called alternate electors.
High‑profile pardons such as Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández have drawn scrutiny, with Trump pardoning Zhao in 2025 after Binance partnered with a firm linked to the president’s children, and Hernández receiving clemency while the Pentagon pursued anti‑narco operations in Latin America.
The segment closes the 59th season of “60 Minutes” amid a turbulent period for CBS News, which saw President Wendy McMahon resign after a legal clash with Trump over a Harris interview edit and a $16 million settlement.
Recent staff changes, including the firing of correspondent Scott Pelley after a dispute with editor Bari Weiss, have not deterred Martin, who praised Weiss and urged conservatives to “be bold” in media roles, echoing a directive from his former boss, President Trump.
