White House denies Trump influenced by 'pardon brokers' after '60 Minutes' investigation

A White House spokesperson denied the suggestion that President Donald Trump's administration could be influenced by "pardon brokers" an issue examined by CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday.

During the show's season premiere, the long-running news program ran a segment on lobbyists reportedly negotiating for presidential pardons for particular clients based on alleged connections to the president.

"Presidents have been pardoning criminals since George Washington," correspondent Lesley Stahl said.

"It's a constitutional power.

No explanation needed.

The Department of Justice does screen applicants and typically only recommends those who remorsefully seek mercy.

But that's not always been the process.

President Ford pardoned Richard Nixon.

President Clinton, Marc Rich after donations.

President Biden, his son Hunter, and Anthony Fauci." BIDEN CLEMENCY BLITZ LEFT DOJ SCRAMBLING AS MANY COMMUTATIONS BYPASSED NORMAL VETTING, EMAILS SHOW "President Trump, he's developed his own vetting system, pardoning political allies, including all of the January 6 rioters, as well as a string of unrepentant financial conmen who argued, just like him, that they were wrongly prosecuted," she continued.

"How did these people get their grievances in the president's ear? Donations appear to help and those who can pay hire pardon brokers, lawyers and lobbyists who sell their ties to the president for exorbitant fees.

It's a marketplace of money and mercy." In a comment to Fox News Digital , White House spokesperson Lauren Bis denied that Trump was influenced by any "lobbyist" regarding his presidential pardons.

She further criticized past presidential pardons by former President Joe Biden, pointing out that many of his pardons released violent criminals .

"Anyone spending money to lobby for pardons is foolishly wasting their money and the President doesn’t even know who these so-called ‘lobbyists’ are.