Trump Pardons Former Virginia Sheriff Convicted of Taking $75K in Bribes

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will grant a full pardon to Scott Howard Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, who was convicted last year of accepting over $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing businessmen as auxiliary deputy sheriffs. Jenkins, 53, had been scheduled to report to prison this week to begin serving a 10-year sentence.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared that Jenkins would be spared from incarceration. "Instead [he] will have a wonderful and productive life," Trump wrote, criticizing what he characterized as unjust prosecution by the Biden administration's Department of Justice. Trump accused federal prosecutors and Judge Robert Ballou, who presided over Jenkins’ trial, of denying Jenkins the opportunity to present crucial evidence in his defense.

Jenkins was found guilty on multiple charges, including conspiracy, honest services fraud, and bribery involving federal funds. Prosecutors alleged that Jenkins accepted both cash payments and campaign contributions from several businessmen—among them Rick Rahim, Fredric Gumbinner, James Metcalf, and at least five others, including two undercover FBI agents—in return for bestowing law enforcement badges and credentials. The recipients, authorities said, did not undergo proper training or background checks and never performed duties for the sheriff’s office.

According to federal officials, the scheme enabled unqualified individuals to obtain official law enforcement identification, raising concerns about the integrity of local law enforcement agencies. Prosecutors asserted that Jenkins' actions undermined public trust and the proper functioning of his office.

Trump, however, portrayed Jenkins as a victim of political persecution, stating, "This Sheriff is a victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice, and doesn’t deserve to spend a single day in jail." He continued, "He is a wonderful person, who was persecuted by the Radical Left ‘monsters,’ and ‘left for dead.’"

Jenkins has maintained his innocence and previously expressed hope that Trump would intervene. In April, he stated during a webinar that he “believe[d] wholeheartedly” in the president and felt his side of the story had not been heard during the trial.

The pardon comes amid heightened political rhetoric about the justice system, with Trump and his allies frequently accusing federal prosecutors of bias and targeting political opponents. The announcement is expected to draw both strong support and criticism as debate continues over the appropriate use of presidential pardon powers.