Pair behind false accusations against Pete Buttigieg caught peddling presidential pardons

The same hoaxers who once sparked a wrongful sexual assault investigation into Pete Buttigieg were caught by 60 Minutes marketing themselves as pardon brokers.

A hidden camera investigation from the CBS newsmagazine show found Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl meeting with a prospective client seeking to obtain a pardon from President Donald Trump. The pair was captured on video meeting with Ammon Covino, a felon who previously applied for a pardon from President Joe Biden, but had that pardon rejected with a large backlog of requests unaddressed before Trump returned to power.

Related: Pete Buttigieg falsely accused of sexual assault by far-right catfish

Burkman and Wohl have been involved in national political matters before, including using fake social media accounts for a real Ferris State University student to lob false allegations against Buttigieg as he ran for president.

That student, Hunter Kelly, told The Advocate in 2019 said the pair flew him to Washington to discuss political challenges for gay Republicans, then discussed a smear campaign against Buttigieg. But Kelly said he never agreed to take part in it. Regardless, the two men created a fake post on Medium and launched it the day after the meeting without his consent. He issued a statement denying any involvement in the allegations and said he was never sexually assaulted.

Related: Far-right catfish hold awkward presser to continue Buttigieg attacks

At the time, Wohl and Burkman already had a reputation for hurling accusations at Democratic figures that went nowhere.

Now, the pair has landed in the news again for allegedly selling lobbying services for pardons. In the case of Covino, the pair said they would need $300,000 to help secure the pardon. “With this particular White House you have to put pressure on the President from all directions in a consistent way to force his hand,” Burkman is seen telling Covino.

Related: Trump booster Jacob Wohl faked death threat from gay activist he concocted

While Covino and wife Crystal said they only paid for postage to apply for a pardon during the last administration, Burkman and Wohl had a list of expenses they needed to cover, including paying to attend $10,000-a-plate fundraisers and contracting social media influencers to demand a pardon online.

The Covinos were working with 60 Minutes when they met with Burkman and Wohl, capturing the candor as part of a broader investigation of the growing “pardon economy,” lobbyists in Washington who specialize in securing pardons from the White House as they roll out at unusual levels.