New Jersey Businessman Seeks Trump Clemency with $1 Million Lobbying Effort Amid Bribery Conviction

New Jersey Businessman Seeks Clemency from Trump After Bribery Conviction

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NJ — Fred Daibes, a New Jersey businessman recently convicted of bribing former Senator Bob Menendez, has reportedly paid $1 million to a Washington, D.C., lobbyist in a bid for clemency from former President Donald Trump. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Daibes engaged Keith Schiller and his firm, Javelin Advisors, to advocate for “executive relief” from his seven-year prison sentence.

Daibes, who began serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in May, was found guilty in a New York federal court of bribing Menendez with cash and gold bars. In return, he sought the senator’s influence to persuade federal prosecutors in New Jersey to ease penalties related to his separate bank fraud charges.

Legal experts have weighed in on the implications of Daibes’ actions. NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos stated, “We all really know ‘executive relief’ means a pardon or shorten my sentence and get me out of prison.”

After pleading guilty to bank fraud, Daibes received a three-year sentence, which was ordered to run concurrently with his bribery sentence. Despite his current incarceration, Daibes has not given up hope. Sources indicate that he hired Schiller’s firm earlier this year to mount a vigorous campaign aimed at the White House, seeking a pardon or commutation.

Schiller, who previously served as Trump’s director of Oval Office operations and was the Trump Organization’s security director for 18 years, did not respond to requests for comment regarding his involvement with Daibes.

Daibes’ criminal defense attorney, Cesar de Castro, declined to comment on the matter. However, Robert Travers, an attorney assisting Daibes in his clemency efforts, stated, “Fred Daibes has not worked with Keith Schiller or Javelin since June of this year and he is no longer engaged with them.” Despite this, a source close to Daibes mentioned that he is still contemplating his next steps in approaching the Trump administration.

Cevallos remarked on the high stakes involved, saying, “What is your freedom worth? So, $1 million to a lobbyist with those ties to the president doesn’t seem like that much to try to get out of prison.”

The White House has remained tight-lipped about Daibes’ clemency efforts, with an official stating, “The White House does not comment on the existence or nonexistence of pardons. The President, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons.”

In recent months, Trump has granted clemency to over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, as well as other notable figures, including former Rep. George Santos, who had his seven-year sentence commuted just last week.

As Daibes navigates the complexities of his legal battles, the outcome of his clemency request remains uncertain, but the high-profile nature of his case continues to draw attention to the intersection of politics, justice, and influence in America.