Boosie BadAzz Says He Paid $600,000 to Two Far-Right Political Operatives Who Claimed They Could Help Secure a Presidential Pardon From Donald Trump
Rapper Boosie Badazz is taking legal action against two pro-Trump lobbyists after paying them $600,000 to help secure a federal pardon that never arrived.
The Baton Rouge native, whose legal name is Torence Hatch, is seeking to recover $300,000 from far-right political operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman. Boosie claims their contract required the men to refund half of his payment if they failed to obtain clemency from President Donald Trump.
According to an investigation by NOTUS, Boosie hired Wohl and Burkman’s firm, JM Burkman & Associates, in October 2025 as he awaited sentencing in a federal firearms case.
On New Year’s Day, the lobbyists allegedly told Boosie’s attorney that Trump had signed the pardon but that the White House had not yet announced it. The pardon never materialized.
Boosie Demands Contractual Refund
Boosie is now pursuing arbitration to recover half of the $600,000 fee, citing a provision in the agreement reviewed by NOTUS.
Wohl and Burkman have disputed that such a refund provision was ever finalized. The pair also reportedly told Boosie’s attorney that their firm had exhausted its money and was “effectively bankrupt.”
Burkman defended the firm’s work in a statement to TMZ.
“Boosie has no reason to be unhappy. In 30 years of lobbying, I doubt we have ever done more work and harder work,” Burkman said. “The provision in the contract he is referencing was never agreed to at all.”
Burkman also argued that Boosie’s efforts became more difficult following a separate arrest in Texas.
“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,” he said. “We tried very, very hard.”
Wohl had not publicly responded to the allegations as of Monday.
Lobbyists Claimed Connections Inside Trump’s Circle
During their efforts, Wohl and Burkman allegedly told Boosie and his representatives that they had connections to several influential conservatives, including longtime Trump ally Laura Loomer.
They also reportedly mentioned House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican Reps. Nancy Mace and Andy Biggs, Erika Kirk and other figures within Trump’s political orbit.
However, the people and offices contacted by NOTUS either denied supporting Boosie’s pardon or said they knew nothing about the effort.
“Speaker Johnson’s office categorically denied that there was any merit to the claims made by these individuals or any connection between the speaker and these individuals or the parties involved,” a spokesperson for Johnson said.
A White House official also reportedly said its clemency team had never heard from Wohl or Burkman and suggested that their involvement could hurt rather than help a pardon request.
Wohl and Burkman Previously Targeted Black Voters
Wohl and Burkman have a history of legal trouble involving Black voters.
The two men pleaded guilty in Ohio in 2022 to telecommunications fraud charges stemming from an illegal robocall campaign intended to discourage people from voting by mail during the 2020 election.
A federal judge later found that the calls, which primarily targeted Black neighborhoods, violated state and federal voting rights laws.
Their felony convictions required them to disclose their work as federal lobbyists.
Federal Gun Case Led Boosie to Seek Pardon
Boosie had publicly sought presidential clemency for years.
In 2024, the rapper said he planned to request a pardon from whoever won the presidential election between Trump and then-Vice President Kamala Harris. After Trump returned to the White House, Boosie renewed those appeals on social media.
The pardon request centered on a federal gun case stemming from Boosie’s June 2023 arrest in San Diego. Prosecutors accused him of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
He later pleaded guilty to the charge. In January 2026, a federal judge sentenced him to 10 days of time already served and three years of supervised release.
Federal prosecutors are now seeking to revoke that supervised release following a separate incident in Houston. Boosie is accused of striking a security guard in the head with a glass hookah base. Those allegations have not been proven in court.
Boosie Still Hopes Trump Will Grant Clemency
The dispute is believed to be the first known legal action against a pardon lobbyist or lobbying firm during Trump’s second term.
The case also highlights the growing business surrounding presidential clemency. While previous administrations generally relied on a formal Justice Department review process, Trump has often considered pardon requests presented by aides, allies and people with access to his political circle.
The Justice Department maintains a public list of clemency grants issued during Trump’s current term. Boosie’s name does not appear on that list.
Despite the failed lobbying effort, Boosie has filed a separate pardon application directly with the White House. He reportedly remains hopeful that Trump will approve the request and clear the federal felony conviction from his record.
