Rapper Boosie Badazz, born Torence Hatch, paid $600,000 to far-right operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman of JM Burkman & Associates last year for help securing a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The payment came after Boosie's 2023 arrest in San Diego for displaying a firearm while a convicted felon, facing up to 10 years in prison.

In September 2025, Boosie signed a contract with the firm that included a refund clause if no pardon arrived by Jan. 31, 2025 — a typo both sides acknowledge should have read 2026. On New Year's Day, Boosie was told his clemency was secured, but by Jan. 13 learned it was false. He pleaded guilty to a reduced sentence of three years supervised release, 300 hours community service, and a $50,000 fine.

Boosie now seeks a partial refund via arbitration, citing the contract clause. Burkman and Wohl's lawyers argue the provision is invalid because the deadline had passed when signed. A White House official stated the administration never received a pardon request and finds profiting from pardons "detestable." Boosie publicly named several conservative figures on X, including Laura Loomer and Mike Cernovich, who denied any involvement.

The case highlights reports of a "pardon economy" under Trump. Notably, Wohl and Burkman previously pleaded guilty to charges from a 2020 illegal robocall campaign targeting Black voters. Boosie faces additional legal trouble in Houston for allegedly assaulting a security guard.