Boosie Badazz isn’t letting an alleged pardon scam slide.
The Baton Rouge rapper has reportedly filed a $10 million federal lawsuit against political operatives Jack Burkmanand Jacob Wohl, claiming they took hundreds of thousands of dollars while promising to help secure a presidential pardon in his federal gun case.
Earlier this week, Boosie stunned fans when he revealed he had spent approximately $600,000 pursuing clemency from President Donald Trump. According to the rapper, the money was paid to Burkman and Wohl, who allegedly claimed they had the political connections necessary to get his pardon request in front of the White House.
That effort ultimately went nowhere.
As news of the failed pardon attempt spread, questions surfaced online about whether Boosie had attempted to pay for a pardon. Media personality DJ Akademiks pushed back on that narrative, explaining that Boosie wasn’t paying a bribe but rather hiring what he believed was a lobbying operation.
“Boosie didn’t pay for a bribe. He paid a lobbyist group to try to get him a pardon,” Akademiks wrote on social media. “Unfortunately for him, legally they couldn’t guarantee favorable results. Def not getting back the whole $600K, but if that retainer agreement I saw is real, he has a case for $300K back.”
Boosie apparently sees things much differently.
In response, the rapper announced that he’s taking the matter to federal court, suing Burkman and Wohl for $10 million, alleging he was misled into believing they could deliver results they were never in a position to provide.
The controversy prompted a response from the White House, which made it clear that neither Burkman nor Wohl has any affiliation with the administration’s clemency process.
According to reports, a White House representative said officials do not endorse or work with either man and warned that anyone seeking presidential clemency through them could actually hurt their chances of receiving a pardon.
The administration confirmed it had received documents regarding Boosie from Maghan Blanco, but stressed that simply receiving paperwork has no bearing on whether clemency will be granted. Officials also stated they never received any communication from Burkman or Wohl on Boosie’s behalf and advised that they do not support either individual’s activities.
The White House also reiterated President Trump’s reported position that profiting from presidential pardons is “detestable.”
The lawsuit now shifts the focus from Boosie’s long-running legal battle to whether Burkman and Wohl misrepresented their influence and accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars under false pretenses. If Boosie prevails, the case could shine an even brighter spotlight on the shadowy business of political lobbying and pardon brokers operating around Washington.
