Trump pardons ex‑sheriff as bribery charges stir controversy
Donald Trump has pardoned Sheriff Scott Jenkins from Virginia, who was convicted on federal bribery charges. Jenkins was set to begin serving a ten-year prison sentence.
Key information
- Former Sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to ten years in prison for bribery.
- Donald Trump granted him a full and unconditional pardon.
- Jenkins was accused of accepting bribes in exchange for appointing deputy sheriffs.
Scott Jenkins, former sheriff from Virginia, was set to begin his ten-year prison sentence on federal bribery charges. However, on Monday, President Donald Trump granted him a full and unconditional pardon, meaning Jenkins will not go to prison - reports ABC News.
Jenkins was convicted by a jury in December 2024 for conspiracy, fraud, and bribery. The charges involved accepting over $75,000 (£55,000) in exchange for appointing Northern Virginia businessmen as deputy sheriffs. The trial concluded in March 2025.
Donald Trump, in his statement on Truth Social, criticised actions by the Department of Justice under Joe Biden's leadership, calling it the "persecution" of Jenkins. Trump stated that Jenkins was a victim of the "radical left" and does not deserve imprisonment.
"Sheriff Scott Jenkins, his wife Patricia, and their family have been dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden DOJ. In fact, during his trial, when Sheriff Jenkins tried to offer exculpatory evidence to support himself, the Biden Judge, Robert Ballou, refused to allow it, shut him down, and then went on a tirade," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump emphasised that Jenkins was "an excellent person" who was unjustly treated by the judicial system. - This sheriff is a victim of Biden's overzealous Department of Justice and does not deserve to spend a single day in prison - he added.
Zachary T. Lee, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, accused Jenkins of exploiting his position for personal gain. Lee highlighted that Jenkins repeatedly breached public trust and manipulated the judicial process to evade responsibility. - Scott Jenkins broke the oath and trust bestowed upon him by the county's citizens. We expect our elected law enforcement officers to adhere to higher standards of conduct - ABC News cites his words.
