Rapper Seeks $300K Refund After Bid for Presidential Pardon Falls Apart

Rapper Boosie BadAzz is demanding money back after two lobbyists allegedly charged him $600,000 in exchange for a Trump pardon that never came.

The 43-year-old hip-hop artist has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement over the years and was most recently facing prison time for felony possession of a firearm, which could result in up to 10 years in prison, The New York Times reported. 

He had previously pleaded guilty to a third-offense marijuana possession charge in 2009 and was sent to prison in Louisiana.

Boosie, whose real name is Torrence Ivy Hatch Jr., was reportedly approached by Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl with a promise that they could help secure a pardon. But they didn’t, so Hatch is requesting half his money back, the outlet noted.

“I was in a bad position, and they preyed on me, bro,” Hatch told NYT in an interview. The lobbyists disagree, saying the fallout has tarnished their reputation. Burkman wrote in an email that the rapper “has smeared us unfairly.” 

Burkman added that the duo had conducted a “massive, highly tailored advocacy campaign across Congress, the executive branch and leading political influencers and media figures” as they attempted to secure the promised pardon. “In 25 years, we cannot think of a single client for whom our firm has done more work than Boosie,” he said. 

The outlet reported that a signed contract states that if a pardon was not secured by a certain date, Hatch was entitled to half the money back, which is what he is requesting. But NYT noted that there appears to be a typo, as the pardon was promised by January 2025, but the contract was signed in September 2025.

The rapper was sentenced to three years of supervised release and 300 hours of community service in January 2026.

While he’s not back behind bars, Hatch is unhappy with his sentence as it keeps him from performing in other countries. “I’m loved all across the world and I can’t even go overseas and make money,” he told the outlet.

Rappers seeking presidential pardons from Trump are a hot topic lately. Last week, convicted sex offender R. Kelly submitted a “random” pardon request, prompting a response from the White House confirming the submission without indicating whether it would be approved. Kelly is currently serving a 31-year sentence for racketeering, sex trafficking, and child pornography.

The White House shot down rumors last fall that a presidential pardon for rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was imminent. As of now, Diddy is still behind bars, serving a four-year sentence for soliciting prostitution after being acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.