Louisiana rapper Boosie Badazz is reportedly attempting to recover $300,000 from a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm after it failed to secure a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The rapper had hired the firm to advocate for clemency regarding a 2023 conviction for possessing a loaded firearm during a music video shoot.
Boosie, whose legal name is Torence Hatch and who is from Baton Rouge, paid JM Burkman & Associates $600,000 in 2025 to lobby for a pardon, according to a Monday report from Notus, a publication covering the federal government.
When the pardon did not materialize, Hatch initiated arbitration proceedings. The dispute highlights a potential wave of litigation arising from the “clemency economy” that flourished during Trump’s second term, during which he granted pardons en masse to allies and those convicted of federal crimes.
In the opaque “clemency economy,” millions of dollars have flowed to lobbyists, attorneys, and advocates promising access to the former president.
Federal lobbying records indicate the firm retained by Hatch registered to contact the White House, the Department of Justice, and Congress.
According to Notus, the lobbyists informed Hatch’s legal team that Trump had signed the pardon and they were awaiting a White House announcement, but the clemency grant was never made public.
Conversely, Notus reported that the Trump White House informed Hatch’s attorney it had received no such request.
The legal dispute between Hatch and lobbyists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman centers on whether the firm is contractually obligated to refund half of the $600,000 upfront fee. The firm denies any agreement to return a portion of the fee if the pardon effort failed.
Burkman is linked to a separate pardon-related case from March, in which New York attorney and lobbyist Joshua Nass was charged with attempting to extort a former client and the client’s son over an alleged $500,000 debt. Nass had worked on a presidential pardon granted to Joseph Schwartz, a nursing home operator convicted of fraud who had also retained Burkman.
Hatch’s pursuit of a pardon stems from a guilty plea he entered with federal prosecutors to avoid incarceration for possessing a loaded firearm as a convicted felon, a status stemming from a 2011 drug-trafficking conviction.
During a 2023 video shoot in San Diego, police observed Hatch with a handgun in his waistband. Officers had been monitoring an Instagram Live stream of a reputed Neighborhood Crips member.
Police pinpointed the location and conducted a traffic stop, leading to the discovery of Hatch’s weapon.
Under the plea agreement, Hatch received three years of supervised release, 300 hours of community service, and a $50,000 fine.
Hatch sought the pardon to erase the gun conviction and avoid the sentence; its failure precipitated the fee dispute with Burkman and Wohl’s firm.
Notus reported that the lobbyists claimed to be effectively bankrupt. In a statement, the firm asserted that “no provision to return half the fee was ever actually agreed to.”
Boosie told Notus that the lobbyists were initially “real aggressive,” adding, “they were talking like they had Trump on speed dial.”
Other legal experts and pardon advocates told the outlet that such a refund clause is highly unusual.
Burkman told the outlet the firm lobbied extensively for Hatch, describing a “massive, highly tailored advocacy campaign across Congress, the executive branch, and leading political influencers and media figures.”
“We continue to believe that Boosie very much deserves a pardon,” Burkman added.
The firm said its efforts included enlisting Trump ally Laura Loomer to ask presidential executive assistant Natalie Harp to present the application to Trump. Wohl reportedly told Notus that Loomer “is the person for the Jewish guys.”
Burkman and Wohl have a controversial history prior to their dispute with the rapper known for Southern hip-hop staples such as “Wipe Me Down” and “Set It Off,” as well as his feature on Webbie’s “Independent.”
In 2022, the pair pleaded guilty in Ohio to operating an illegal robocall campaign targeting Black voters. They subsequently settled, paying $1.25 million to New York authorities and $5 million to the FCC.
Notus also referenced media reports alleging the pair attempted to fabricate sexual harassment and assault allegations against former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the late former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Additionally, Notus noted that the duo once deceived The Washington Post into reporting on a fabricated FBI raid at Burkman’s residence.
