Trump Pardons Former Indiana Rep. Stephen Buyer for Insider Trading Conviction

The White House announced that former President Donald Trump used his authority to issue a “full, complete, and unconditional pardon” to former Indiana Representative Stephen Buyer. Buyer was convicted in 2023 for insider trading and sentenced to 22 months in prison.

Buyer, who served on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and as a prosecutor in President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial, was found guilty of using nonpublic insider information for personal gain after leaving office. The White House commended Buyer’s “distinguished and highly productive” career, highlighting his service as a U.S. Army judge advocate and his tenure as a representative from 1993 to 2011.

More than 50 lawmakers supported the pardon, with endorsements from Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker, former House Speaker John Boehner, former Senator Rick Santorum, and others. The White House directed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to issue a certificate of pardon for Buyer.

The conviction involved allegations of Buyer purchasing stock in Navigant before his client Guidehouse acquired it, as well as buying Sprint shares after learning about its merger plans with T-Mobile. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman noted Buyer’s obstruction of justice by providing false explanations for his trades.

Buyer’s legal team sought home confinement and community service instead of prison, citing his financial ruin due to litigation. He and his wife had to sell their home and assets, with his wife returning to work at age 65. Despite this, Buyer was sentenced to prison, ordered to forfeit $354,027 earned from the trades, and fined $10,000. Prosecutors also sought $1.4 million to cover legal fees, but the judge denied this request.