A rise in presidential pardons for white-collar criminals has given hope to fraudsters of a different flavor.
Three convicted political scammers — Richard Zeitlin, William Tierney and Matt Tunstall — have formally sought pardons from President Donald Trump, seeking the same leniency the president has shown a number of felonious cryptocurrency, finance and health care executives.
Zeitlin, Tierney and Tunstall collectively swindled tens of thousands of Americans, including Trump supporters, of over $120 million, according to court records. Their individual schemes involved the creation, operation or support of fraudulent political committees, charitable organizations and robocall operations that employed dishonest fundraising tactics, such as adopting false identities and even impersonating Trump.