Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Independent TV

Showing now | News

Video Player Placeholder
White House defends pardoning exec who defrauded thousands out of $1.6bn

01:28

White House defends releasing jailed executive who defrauded thousands out of $1.6bn

The White House has defended Donald Trump’s commutation of a prison sentence for former private equity executive David Gentile, who conned thousands out of $1.6 billion in a fraud scheme.

Gentile, 59, was granted clemency and released on Wednesday (26 November) after serving less than two weeks of a seven-year prison sentence.

Asked by a reporter in the White House about the commutation on Monday (2 December), Karoline Leavitt said the Biden government was “unable to tie any supposedly fraudulent representations to Mr Gentile”.

She called the case another example of the “weaponization of justice from the previous administration”.

Gentile and his co-defendant, Jeffry Schneider, were convicted in August 2024 on conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and securities fraud. His conviction will not be erased.

Up next

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in