Federal prosecutors had begun looking into the commutation of David Gentile’s sentence. Gentile, a private equity executive, was convicted in a $1.6 billion fraud scheme. He was released from a New York prison days into a seven-year sentence after being granted clemency by President Trump.
According to sources, political appointees of President Trump stopped an early investigation into the circumstances surrounding this clemency. The probe had started to explore whether any improper payments were made to secure the commutation for Gentile, who was convicted of defrauding thousands of investors, causing severe financial losses for some.
The clemency issued last November resulted in Gentile’s release just two weeks into his prison term. It also eliminated the possibility of forfeiting over $15.5 million to the government. Within months, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn initiated an investigation into how Gentile’s release was obtained.
Evidence collected included jailhouse communications where Gentile talked about making payments of $2.5 million or more to individuals or companies to facilitate his clemency. Among those scrutinized was Reverend Frank Mann, a retired Catholic priest from Queens and a friend of Trump. Despite claims of involvement, Father Mann denied any participation in the clemency process. He reportedly corresponded with Gentile about lobbying President Trump on Gentile’s behalf.