President Donald Trump issued a full and unconditional pardon to Scott Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia.
The pardon comes mere days before Jenkins was scheduled to begin serving his prison sentence.
The presidential pardon was announced on Memorial Day through Trump’s Truth Social platform.
Jenkins had been convicted on multiple federal charges related to accepting bribes during his tenure as sheriff.
Trump characterized the case against Jenkins as an example of political targeting by the previous administration’s Department of Justice.
The president described the prosecution as unfair persecution by what he termed a corrupt and weaponized system.
Jenkins served as Culpeper County sheriff for more than ten years before losing his reelection bid in 2023.
His law enforcement career ended amid the federal investigation that ultimately led to his conviction.
In December, a federal jury found Jenkins guilty of accepting more than $70,000 in bribes.
The conviction stemmed from a scheme where prosecutors alleged Jenkins appointed local businessmen as auxiliary deputy sheriffs in exchange for cash payments and campaign contributions, per The Hill.
The bribery scheme involved multiple transactions with various individuals seeking special deputy positions.
Some of these payments came directly from undercover FBI agents who were investigating the corruption allegations.
Federal prosecutors successfully convicted Jenkins on twelve separate counts.
The charges included one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services mail and wire fraud and seven counts of bribery involving programs that receive federal funding.
The case against Jenkins developed over several years as federal investigators built evidence of the pay-to-play scheme.
The Department of Justice alleged that Jenkins systematically sold auxiliary deputy positions to the highest bidders.
During the trial proceedings, Jenkins attempted to present what he claimed was exculpatory evidence in his defense.
The presiding judge, Robert Ballou, rejected these attempts, however.
He refused to allow the evidence to be presented to the jury.
Trump criticized Judge Ballou’s handling of the case in his pardon announcement.
The president alleged that the judge “refused to allow it, shut him down, and then went on a tirade” when Jenkins tried to offer evidence supporting his innocence.
“As we have seen, in Federal, City, and State Courts, Radical Left or Liberal Judges allow evidence what they feel like, not what is mandated under the Constitution and Rules of Evidence,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post announcing the pardon.
The president characterized Jenkins as a victim of prosecutorial overreach by the Biden administration’s Justice Department.
Trump argued that the former sheriff did not deserve to spend any time incarcerated for his actions.
“This Sheriff is a victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice, and doesn’t deserve to spend a single day in Jail,” Trump stated in his announcement.
He described Jenkins as a wonderful person who was persecuted by what he called radical left “monsters.”
Trump’s pardon power allows him to grant clemency for federal crimes without requiring approval from Congress or the courts.
The constitutional authority is largely unrestricted, giving presidents broad discretion in granting pardons.
The Post Millennial (TPM) outlined that the timing of the pardon proved crucial for Jenkins, who was scheduled to report to federal prison to begin serving his sentence.
The presidential intervention prevented his incarceration just hours before he was required to surrender to authorities.
Trump concluded his pardon announcement by stating that Jenkins “will NOT be going to jail tomorrow, but instead will have a wonderful and productive life.”
The pardon completely eliminates Jenkins’ federal conviction and any associated penalties.
Jenkins’ family expressed relief following the presidential pardon reveal.
The former sheriff’s wife Patricia and their family had endured years of legal proceedings and public scrutiny throughout the federal investigation and trial process, per TPM.
