President Donald Trump has issued a full and unconditional pardon to Scott Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, who was convicted earlier this year on federal bribery and fraud charges. The last-minute clemency, announced by Trump via his Truth Social platform, spares Jenkins from serving a 10-year prison sentence he was due to begin on Tuesday.
Jenkins, 53, was found guilty in December on one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery. Prosecutors in the “cash-for-badges scheme” presented evidence that Jenkins accepted over $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing several businessmen as auxiliary deputy sheriffs, despite them lacking proper training or vetting. These appointments allegedly allowed the individuals to carry firearms and, in some cases, avoid traffic tickets. The prosecution’s case included testimony from two undercover FBI agents who had been sworn in as auxiliary deputies after providing Jenkins with cash payments.
In his social media post announcing the pardon, President Trump asserted that Jenkins and his family “have been dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden DOJ.” He described Jenkins as a “wonderful person, who was persecuted by the Radical Left ‘monsters,’ and ‘left for dead,'” adding that the former sheriff “doesn’t deserve to spend a single day in jail.” Trump also claimed that U.S. District Judge Robert Ballou, a Biden appointee who presided over the case, “refused to allow [Jenkins] to offer evidence in his defense, shut him down, and then went on a tirade.”
These claims of a “weaponized” Justice Department echo a frequent criticism levied by Trump against federal law enforcement and judicial processes, particularly those involving his allies or perceived political opponents.
Jenkins, a vocal supporter of Trump, had publicly appealed for the former president’s intervention following his conviction. During a webinar in April hosted by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, Jenkins reportedly expressed confidence that Trump would help him if he heard his story.
The pardon marks another instance of Trump using his clemency powers to benefit loyalists or individuals whose cases he deems unjust. His previous pardons and commutations have included figures such as former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and a significant number of individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee had stated at the time of Jenkins’ sentencing in March that the former sheriff “violated his oath of office and the faith the citizens of Culpeper County placed in him.” Lee emphasized that “when those officials use their authority for unjust personal enrichment, the Department of Justice will hold them accountable.”
As of late Monday, messages seeking comment from Jenkins’ lawyers had not been returned, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia was closed for the Memorial Day holiday. The pardon, however, ensures that Scott Jenkins will not serve any time in federal prison for the bribery charges.