US rapper Boosie Badazz has launched legal action against a political lobbying firm after alleging he paid $600,000 (£450,000) in an unsuccessful attempt to secure a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.
The 43-year-old rapper, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, claims he hired JM Burkman & Associates to help obtain a pardon relating to a federal firearms conviction, believing it would clear his criminal record and help him avoid a potential prison sentence.
According to court filings, Boosie alleges the lobbying firm portrayed itself as having close access to former President Donald Trump and suggested it could influence the presidential clemency process.
However, Boosie’s lawyer, Jill Craft, claims the firm had no such connections.
She said the company preyed on the rapper’s desperation by allegedly acting as though they “had Trump on speed dial.”
A White House clemency official has reportedly stated they had never heard of JM Burkman & Associates.
Pardoned never came
Boosie reportedly paid the money before he was sentenced in January 2026, hoping to secure a pardon before the court reached its decision.
Despite never receiving presidential clemency, he avoided a custodial sentence after being ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and placed under supervised release.
The rapper is now seeking to recover $300,000 from the lobbying firm, arguing that a clause within the retainer agreement entitled him to a 50 per cent refund if a pardon was not obtained.
JM Burkman & Associates dispute the claim, reportedly arguing that the refund clause was never agreed to or signed and that the firm is unable to repay the money due to previous legal penalties.
Fresh legal problems
Since being sentenced, Boosie has allegedly breached the conditions of his supervised release.
According to US reports, prosecutors claim he assaulted a security guard at a nightclub, travelled outside his authorised district without permission and failed a drug test.
Those alleged violations could now see him returned to court, where he reportedly faces between 18 and 24 months in prison if found to have breached the terms of his supervised release.
The case has attracted widespread attention after Boosie claimed he believed the lobbying firm could secure him the same type of presidential clemency previously granted to several high-profile rappers during Donald Trump’s presidency.
The civil lawsuit remains ongoing.
