Trump grants clemency to former Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke after federal conspiracy charges
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump pardoned Tim Leiweke, the former chief executive of Oak View Group (OVG), months after the entertainment-industry leader was indicted on a federal conspiracy charge.
Leiweke, 68, who stepped down as CEO in July but remains a shareholder, expressed “profound gratitude” to Trump, saying the clemency ends a “long and difficult journey” for his family.
Indictment alleges rival developer dropped out for subcontracts
A federal grand jury in Texas indicted Leiweke in July, alleging that he conspired with a rival developer to rig the bidding process for the approximately $375 million Moody Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
The indictment claimed that the competitor agreed to drop out of the contest in exchange for subcontracts linked to the project. Leiweke pleaded not guilty, while Oak View Group agreed to pay $15 million in connection with the case.
One of his attorneys, David Gerger, called the pardon “the right result.”
Trump resumes pardons after White House scrutiny pause
It remains unclear whether Leiweke or associates lobbied for the pardon.
Trump recently resumed issuing pardons after the White House temporarily paused the process to impose tighter scrutiny, following concerns that clemency had become a lucrative lobbying business during his second term.
Leiweke’s pardon follows several others granted in recent months. Last month, Trump pardoned British billionaire Joe Lewis, who pleaded guilty to insider trading.
He also issued pardons to Rudy Giuliani and 76 others allegedly involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including attorneys Sidney Powell, John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro, as well as former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, none of whom were convicted of federal crimes.
Trump has also used his executive authority to help current and former lawmakers. On Wednesday, he pardoned Rep Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who was indicted last year on bribery and money laundering charges.
And in October, Trump commuted the seven-year prison sentence of former Rep George Santos, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
