Boosie Badazz Paid MAGA Operative $600K for a Trump Pardon They Never Delivered

Rapper Boosie Badazz is embroiled in a bitter arbitration fight after parting with $600K in a desperate attempt to secure a Trump pardon for a federal gun charge that never materialised, as reported by NOTUS this week.

The Louisiana artist, legally named Torence Hatch, is now trying to claw back half of that massive fee from Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, the Washington lobbyists who promised him the world but delivered absolutely nothing.

The news came after Boosie signed a contract with the lobbying firm late last September. He told NOTUS the pitch was incredibly aggressive and the pair acted as though they had Trump on speed dial. It can be recalled that this was the start of a long and draining process that left the musician without his money or the legal clemency he had sought.

The Empty Promises Of MAGA Lobbyists

The pair, who are convicted felons themselves having previously paid a $1.25 million (£930,000) settlement over a notorious robocall scheme targeting Black voters, wasted little time getting to work. They also secretly founded an artificial intelligence lobbying firm that clients later complained did not work at all.

They allegedly kept the rapper on a hook with a constant stream of texts and emails, spinning wild tales about how his clemency application was sailing through. It was a calculated effort to keep the artist paying into the system while offering him little more than empty reassurances.

High Stakes In A Costly Gamble

By New Year's Eve, the promises reached a fever pitch when Burkman sent a text claiming the president had the documents in hand and was ready to sign. A day later, criminal defence lawyer Meghan Blanco was told the paperwork was finished and merely awaiting an announcement. It was a complete fantasy.

Blanco later discovered from a White House aide that nobody in the building had even seen a clemency application for the musician.

Because there is no single channel for submitting such requests under the administration, it remains possible the pair filed through another route, but IBTimes UK cannot independently verify these claims.

White House Denies Knowing Political Operatives

The lobbyists claimed they had backing from several high-profile conservative figures including Erika Kirk, Mike Cernovich, and House Speaker Mike Johnson. When reporters checked, the response was swift. A representative for Kirk said she has no idea who the artist is.

Cernovich confirmed he never advocated for any clemency, and Johnson's office flatly denied any connection. It is mad how easily these endorsements were allegedly fabricated to impress a desperate client.

A White House official, speaking anonymously, was blunt about the situation. The clemency team has never heard from Wohl or Burkman, and their involvement would only hurt the chances of anyone seeking federal leniency. Boosie had previously appealed to the official clemency czar Alice Marie Johnson, but remains unpardoned.

Legal Battle Over A Failed Pardon

The firm is currently fighting the arbitration demands tooth and nail. Their team insisted they had been working harder for Boosie than any other client on their books, claiming that no agreement to refund half the fee was ever signed.

Their lawyer has moved to have the case tossed out, insisting they never even saw the contract until the arbitration process started. Whether this incredibly expensive gamble ever actually pays off for the musician remains the big, looming question.