This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s partnership with NOTUS, a nonpartisan news organization that covers government and politics with the fresh eyes of early career journalists and the expertise of veteran reporters.
President Donald Trump recently pardoned a major Republican donor three days after the man — a key figure in the Jack Abramoff fraud and lobbying scandal — made a political donation to Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pennsylvania), who’s facing one of the nation’s most contested House races.
The megadonor, Adam Kidan, donated $2,600 to Mackenzie’s leadership PAC on June 30, according to Federal Election Commission records. Trump traveled to Mackenzie’s eastern Pennsylvania district on June 23 to campaign with him. The president pardoned Kidan on July 3.
Mackenzie’s office told NOTUS that the Republican congressman did not speak with the White House or Trump about the pardon, but it declined to answer questions about whether the congressman intends to keep Kidan’s donation.
“Congressman Mackenzie has never advocated for a pardon from the President on anyone’s behalf,” Mackenzie spokesperson Arnaud Armstrong said in a statement.
Kidan did not respond to NOTUS’ requests for comment.
Following publication of this article, the White House said in a statement to NOTUS that Trump takes his power to issue pardons seriously, that he is “the final decision maker” on pardons and that a team of “elite lawyers” evaluates every request before it reaches the president.
“That’s why we have a rigorous review process involving the Department of Justice and the White House Counsel’s Office,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “The President finds it detestable that anyone would even attempt to profit off pardons.”
The White House did not respond to questions about Mackenzie and Kidan.
Mackenzie faces Democratic challenger Bob Brooks to represent Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District in what the Cook Political Report ranks as a “toss-up” race.
In an email to NOTUS, Brooks campaign manager Jenna Kaufman said: “Three days after a convicted fraudster cut Ryan Mackenzie a massive campaign check, that same fraudster walked away with a presidential pardon. That is corruption in plain sight.”
Kidan, who served about two-and-a-half years in prison in 2006 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud, has donated millions to Republican causes over the years. He gave around $270,000 to Trump-affiliated committees during the 2024 election cycle, according to federal records, and has hosted fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago.
He has also contributed to a number of Republican campaigns throughout the 2026 midterms, including donations in 2025 to three swing-district House members from Pennsylvania: Rob Bresnahan, Brian Fitzpatrick and Scott Perry. He has also supported Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s bid for governor in the state.
In April, Kidan donated $7,231 to former Rep. Mike Rogers’ Senate bid in Michigan, $3,500 to Rep. Zach Nunn’s reelection in Iowa and $22,445 to Rep. Jim Jordan’s joint fundraising committee in Ohio, federal records show.
Kidan’s donation to Mackenzie’s leadership PAC is his most recent federal political contribution on record, FEC records indicate.
As part of his sentencing, Kidan and Abramoff were ordered to pay a total of $217 million in restitution. It’s unclear whether Kidan paid the full amount, and Trump’s pardon is likely to erase any remaining financial obligations.