Trump pardons donor’s son after $1 million dinner at Mar-a-Lago

As newly re-elected US President Donald Trump returned to office earlier this year, Paul Walczak, a former Florida nursing home executive convicted of tax crimes, found his best shot at freedom lay in a presidential pardon.

That pardon came in April, just weeks after Walczak’s mother, Elizabeth Fago—a longtime Republican donor and Trump ally—attended a $1-million-per-person fundraising dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. The event, billed as an exclusive "candlelight dinner," offered face time with the president, the New York Times reported.

A mother’s influence and a son’s crime

Walczak, 55, had pleaded guilty in late 2024 to using over $10 million in employment tax withholdings from staff at his nursing home company to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a $2 million yacht and purchases at luxury retailers. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution.

His clemency application argued that the prosecution was politically motivated due to Ms. Fago’s involvement in the Trump campaign and her alleged role in efforts to undermine Joe Biden’s 2020 run by circulating a diary belonging to his daughter, Ashley Biden. The pardon came just 12 days after sentencing.

Ties to Ashley Biden diary saga

In 2020, Fago hosted a fundraiser in Florida attended by Donald Trump Jr. and his then-girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, where individuals attempted to show them Ashley Biden’s stolen diary. According to court documents and people familiar with the incident, Fago was connected to the network that attempted to disseminate the diary through Project Veritas. Her daughter, Stephanie Walczak, reportedly tipped off the group about its existence.

Two people involved in the diary’s theft, Aimee Harris and Robert Kurlander, have since pleaded guilty. Fago and her daughter were never charged, but were named in related warrants.

Political access and a presidential favour

Though Fago had previously donated far smaller sums, the Mar-a-Lago dinner was marketed as a $1 million-per-head political fundraiser for MAGA Inc., a Trump-aligned PAC. While it remains unclear whether Fago donated the full amount, her attendance placed her within the president’s immediate orbit during a crucial period.

Shortly afterward, Trump granted Walczak a full pardon, sparing him prison time and restitution. A White House official echoed claims from Walczak’s application, accusing the Biden administration of politically targeting him.

Public scrutiny and past patterns

The episode is the latest example of President Trump using his clemency powers to aid allies while claiming political retribution by opponents. The pardon also cited President Biden’s defence of his son Hunter as precedent.

Photos posted online after the pardon showed Walczak celebrating with a red "Make Paul Great Again" hat. The gesture, along with the timeline of events, has sparked concerns from ethics experts about the transactional nature of clemency under the Trump administration.

The full donor list from the Mar-a-Lago dinner is expected to be released by the end of July.