Trump pardons ex-GOP congressman Stephen Buyer jailed under Biden

Former Republican Congressman Stephen Buyer has received a full and unconditional pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump, following a 22-month prison sentence for illegal insider trading. The pardon, signed on June 4 and announced by the White House on June 5, covers Buyer's conviction for abusing his corporate advisory roles to profit from non-public information. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had accused Buyer in 2022 of exploiting internal information to make over $300,000 in illegal profits by trading stocks before significant company news was released in 2018 and 2019.

A court ordered Buyer to forfeit his illegal gains and pay an additional $10,000 fine. He was released in 2025 after serving his sentence. The Supreme Court had previously rejected his appeal without comment in May. In his pardon, President Trump highlighted Buyer's "distinguished and effective" career, including his service as a judge advocate general in the U.S. Army and as a House of Representatives member.

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corrected a politically motivated prosecution

Buyer himself stated that the pardon "corrected a politically motivated prosecution" and reiterated his claim of innocence. Trump had previously posted letters on his Truth Social platform advocating for Buyer's pardon. One letter, signed by over 40 former Republican congressmen, argued that Buyer was "targeted by the deep state" due to his role in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Another letter from five current Republican House members asserted that the pardon would bring justice to the case. The U.S. Constitution grants the president broad authority to pardon federal offenses, an action that does not erase a conviction but is considered an act of clemency or the execution of justice.

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distinguished and effective