The White House announced that President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to former Indiana Representative Stephen Buyer on June 6, 2026. Buyer was convicted in 2023 for insider trading and sentenced to 22 months in prison. The pardon absolves him of this conviction.
Buyer, who served as the chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and was involved in the impeachment trial of former President Bill Clinton, was found guilty of profiting from nonpublic information after leaving office. The White House's proclamation highlighted Buyer's career, including his service in the U.S. Army and his tenure in Congress from 1993 to 2011.
The pardon received support from over 50 current and former lawmakers, including Senators Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker, and former House Speaker John Boehner. The proclamation directed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to issue a certificate of pardon for Buyer.
Buyer's conviction was related to stock trades made shortly before acquisitions involving his clients. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman stated that Buyer obstructed justice by providing false explanations for his trades. Despite his legal team's request for home confinement instead of prison time, Buyer was sentenced to prison and required to forfeit over $354,000 from the illegal trades, along with a $10,000 fine. Federal prosecutors sought an additional $1.4 million for legal fees, but the judge denied this request.
