HAMILTON, Canada

US President Donald Trump pardoned Paul Walczak, a man convicted of tax crimes, shortly after Walczak's mother attended a $1 million-per-person fundraiser for the president at his Mar-a-Lago club, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

Walczak, a former nursing home executive, admitted in 2024 that he took $10 million meant for employee taxes and used it to fund a luxury lifestyle, including buying a $2 million yacht.

He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution.

According to the report, Walczak's pardon application focused on his mother, Elizabeth Fago, a prominent Republican donor who raised millions for Trump's campaigns. It also mentioned her connection to efforts to leak the private diary of Ashley Biden, the daughter of former President Joe Biden, during the 2020 presidential election.

Initially, Trump did not act on the request, but less than three weeks after Fago attended the expensive fundraiser, he signed the pardon.

The report cited a White House official who defended the decision, claiming Walczak was targeted because of his family's support for Trump.