DOJ investigating bribery scheme aimed at presidential pardon

The Justice Department is investigating whether there was a criminal bribery scheme involving political contributions being offered either to individuals in the Trump administration or to a related political organization in the hopes of obtaining a pardon from President Trump, according to newly unsealed federal court records.

A heavily redacted 20-page order and memorandum from Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia from August was unsealed on Tuesday, revealing the existence of the DOJ inquiry. But, due to all of the names and most of the key details being blacked out, it offers the public little in the way of specifics, and there is currently no indication that the pardon that was being pursued materialized. Whether anyone in the White House was privy to such a scheme is also unclear.