Former President Donald Trump issued a wave of pardons on Sunday, protecting some of his closest allies involved in efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. Among those receiving what the Justice Department called “full, complete, and unconditional” pardons was Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s longtime lawyer and former New York mayor, who played a key role in the so-called “fake electors” scheme.
Giuliani actively pushed state legislatures in swing states to reject certified election results and helped organize alternate slates of electors—central elements of Trump’s post-election strategy.
Other notable names on the pardon list include:
- Mark Meadows, Trump’s White House chief of staff during the 2020 election
- John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro, attorneys who crafted legal strategies aimed at pressuring then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021
- Sidney Powell, the attorney behind multiple high-profile lawsuits alleging widespread election fraud, most of which were dismissed by courts due to lack of evidence
It’s important to note that none of these individuals had been federally charged at the time of the pardon, meaning the move is largely symbolic—a statement of loyalty and political positioning. The pardons provide broad protection against federal consequences for any actions tied to post-election efforts, but they do not shield them from state-level investigations. Some pardoned individuals remain under scrutiny in Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada for actions related to attempts to overturn the election results.
The official pardon document is sweeping in scope, covering “all United States citizens for conduct relating to the advice, creation, organization, execution, submission, support, voting activities, participation in, or advocacy for any slate or proposed slate of presidential electors,” as well as actions aimed at exposing alleged election fraud.