Former Sheriff Pardoned by Trump After Bribery Conviction \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Donald Trump pardoned ex-Virginia sheriff Scott Jenkins, convicted of bribery and sentenced to 10 years. Trump called the case politically motivated and criticized the Biden DOJ. Jenkins becomes the latest Trump ally to receive clemency.
Quick Looks
- Pardoned Individual: Scott Jenkins, former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia
- Charges: Bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy, honest services fraud
- Pardon Announcement: Via Trump’s Truth Social platform
- Conviction Details: Found guilty in December 2023, sentenced in March 2025
- Trump’s Statement: Called DOJ “weaponized,” claimed Jenkins was victimized
- FBI Testimony: Undercover agents gave Jenkins $5,000–$10,000 for badges
- Legal Status: Jenkins filed an appeal in April before pardon
- Other Pardons: Michele Fiore, Ross Ulbricht, January 6 defendants
- Criticism: DOJ emphasized betrayal of public trust for personal gain
- Political Framing: Trump blamed Biden-appointed judge for biased trial
Deep Look
In a highly controversial move, President Donald Trump, now serving his second term in office, granted a full pardon to former Virginia sheriff Scott Jenkins, who was convicted in a federal bribery scheme earlier this year. The announcement, delivered on Memorial Day via the president’s Truth Social platform, removes a 10-year prison sentence imposed on Jenkins in March 2025.
Jenkins, 53, was sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, and stood trial for what prosecutors described as an illegal scheme to exchange auxiliary law enforcement badges for cash payments. A federal jury found Jenkins guilty on 12 of 16 counts in December 2023, including conspiracy, wire fraud, honest services fraud, and bribery. The scheme involved undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen who were sworn in as deputies after giving Jenkins envelopes filled with $5,000 and $10,000 in cash.
Despite the conviction, President Trump argued that Jenkins had been railroaded by a politicized Department of Justice. “This Sheriff is a victim of an overzealous Biden DOJ and Radical Left monsters,” Trump wrote. “He doesn’t deserve a single day in jail. He will NOT be going to jail tomorrow, but instead will have a wonderful and productive life.”
Trump’s statement included a direct attack on U.S. District Judge Robert Ballou, a Biden appointee who presided over the trial. The president accused Ballou of blocking key evidence and behaving in a biased manner. “He refused to allow evidence that could’ve cleared Jenkins, shut him down in court, and went on a tirade,” Trump alleged.
At the time of sentencing, Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee stated that Jenkins had “violated his oath of office and used his authority to enrich himself unjustly.” Lee said the conviction demonstrated that public officials who abuse power for personal gain would be held accountable, regardless of status.
President Trump’s decision to pardon Jenkins adds to an expanding list of clemency decisions favoring political allies and high-profile offenders. In April, Trump pardoned Michele Fiore, a Nevada Republican who was awaiting sentencing after being convicted of misusing funds designated for a fallen officer memorial—reportedly using some of the funds for plastic surgery and personal expenses.
In January, Trump also pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace used for illicit drug trafficking and money laundering. Ulbricht had been serving a life sentence since 2015. Trump’s pardons have also extended to the over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot, including many convicted of assaulting police officers and disrupting official proceedings.
The Jenkins pardon is likely to deepen the divide over President Trump’s use of the presidential pardon power, which critics say is now being wielded more as a political weapon than a tool of justice. Legal experts and ethicists have warned that pardoning individuals like Jenkins sends the message that loyalty to the president can outweigh criminal accountability—even when federal juries and evidence have confirmed wrongdoing.
Despite the backlash, the White House has maintained that all of President Trump’s clemency decisions are carefully vetted and justified, with the president emphasizing that many of those pardoned were targeted because of their political beliefs or conservative affiliations. The Jenkins case, Trump insisted, “was never about justice—it was about silencing a patriot.”
Jenkins, for his part, had consistently maintained his innocence and filed an appeal in April. He testified during his trial that there was no connection between the money he received and the badges he distributed, framing the payments as unrelated donations. But the FBI’s undercover footage, showing clear exchanges of money for credentials, played a major role in the jury’s decision.
The pardon not only halts the prison term but also signals a potential reevaluation of other law enforcement-related prosecutions under what Trump frequently calls the “weaponized Biden DOJ.” Legal analysts suggest the move could further embolden conservative sheriffs, state officials, and local prosecutors who have publicly aligned themselves with Trump and criticized federal oversight.
For many, the incident raises fundamental questions about accountability in public office. Jenkins was entrusted with upholding the law but instead used his position, prosecutors argued, to personally profit and endanger public safety by empowering untrained civilians with police credentials.
Nonetheless, the president’s decision is final, and Jenkins will walk free—his criminal record now erased by presidential pardon. The case is the latest in a growing list of bold and divisive executive actions by Trump in his current term, as he continues to challenge the norms of presidential authority and reshape the American justice landscape.
Former Sheriff Pardoned
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