Venezuelan Billionaire Pardoned by Trump After Daughter's $50 Million Deal With Alina Habba, per NYT
A pardon that followed a $50 million deal
A Venezuelan billionaire seeking a pardon from President Trump got one, not long after his daughter gave Alina Habba, a lawyer close to Trump, a $50 million deal, per the New York Times.
The billionaire, Julio Herrera Velutini, was charged in 2022 in a federal bribery case involving a former governor of Puerto Rico. Federal prosecutors had accused him of offering campaign support in exchange for official favors, a case that sat at the intersection of banking, politics, and offshore money.
Who is Alina Habba
Habba is a former Trump personal lawyer who later served as acting US attorney for New Jersey. The deal from Herrera Velutini's daughter, and its timing relative to the pardon, is the core of the Times reporting, and it is likely to draw fresh scrutiny of how clemency decisions are made and who has access to the people around the president.
Pardons themselves are a presidential power with few legal constraints, and Trump has used the pardon power aggressively. The reporting adds to a running debate in Washington over whether well-connected defendants can buy proximity to the process through intermediaries.
Do you want to see how to make more plays? Do you want to find gains yourself? Unusual Whales helps you find market opportunities through our market tide, historical options flow, GEX, and much more. Create a free account here to start conquering the market with Unusual Whales
Options market and stocks to watch
There is no direct tradable angle on a pardon, but clemency and corruption headlines feed the broader political-risk backdrop for markets, especially for companies exposed to federal investigations, government contracts, and sanctions policy. Watch for congressional reaction and any follow-on reporting, and follow developing political coverage on the Unusual Whales news feed.
Want more market intelligence? Create your free Unusual Whales account for options flow, market tide, GEX, and the full toolkit.