Convicted Trump Media-linked fraudster funded pro-Trump film in hopes of pardon, lawsuit says
-
Click here to listen to this article -
- A Miami investor convicted in a Trump Media insider trading case bankrolled a pro-Trump documentary in hopes that the flattering film would buy him a presidential pardon, a lawsuit alleges.
asserted
lawsuit → convict → pardon
The lawsuit by a Los Angeles studio claims Michael Shvartsman demanded early repayment, threatened its CEO and grabbed a bigger slice of profits after the film’s Mar-a-Lago premiere.
uncertain
Shvartsman → claim → premiere
- His failed bid for clemency highlights a booming, high-dollar cottage industry around Trump’s pardon power, where wealthy fraudsters bankroll political projects and influence campaigns in pursuit of freedom.
asserted
fraudsters → fail → freedom
A Miami investor who pleaded guilty to making insider trades connected to the parent company of President Trump’s Truth Social platform helped fund a pro-Trump documentary film in hopes of securing a presidential pardon, according to a lawsuit by an L.A. studio that accuses him of threats and extortion.
uncertain
that → plead → threats
Michael Shvartsman pleaded guilty in 2024 to insider trading associated with the Trump Media & Technology Group, which federal prosecutors said netted him $18.2 million in ill-gotten gains.
asserted
prosecutors → plead → gains
Four months later, Shvartsman helped fund the documentary “The Man You Don’t Know” in an effort to obtain a pardon, according to the lawsuit filed last month in Los Angeles.
uncertain
You → help → Angeles
He denies the allegations.
asserted
He → deny → allegations
A company controlled by Shvartsman provided a $425,000 loan in August 2024 to help fund the film, according to the suit.
uncertain
company → control → suit
The film featured interviews with Trump’s sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. and painted a flattering portrait of the president.
asserted
film → feature → president
Shvartsman attended the film’s premiere that October at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., where he revealed, according to the lawsuit, that he had provided financing for the movie and “was hoping his participation would enable him to get a pardon.”
uncertain
participation → attend → pardon
The event featured a who’s who of Trump-world insiders, including former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, the late pro wrestler and media personality Hulk Hogan, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., as well as the former and soon-to-be president.
asserted
event → feature → Giuliani
Shvartsman and his associates “arranged meetings” with “contacts and stars” associated with the movie in the hopes of achieving his goal of a pardon, the lawsuit said, though it doesn’t state specifically whom he targeted.
asserted
he → arrange → whom
Shvartsman had good reason to seek their help.
asserted
Shvartsman → have → help
Days before the event, he had been sentenced by a federal judge in New York to two years and four months in prison for insider trading connected to the announcement of a merger that would make Trump Media & Technology Group a publicly traded company.
asserted
Media → sentence → merger
Shvartsman, who is a Canadian citizen, also faced the prospect of deportation after his sentence.
asserted
who → face → sentence
Shvartsman said he “disputes all facts and allegations” in the lawsuit and plans to file a countersuit.
asserted
he → say → countersuit
“We are not going to litigate this matter through the press,” he wrote in a message to The Times.
asserted
he → go → Times
“We intend to address the issues through the appropriate legal process, where the relevant facts and documentation can be properly presented and considered.”
asserted
facts → intend → process
Shvartsman’s efforts to mitigate his penalty weren’t limited to the documentary film.
asserted
efforts → mitigate → film
A day before his sentencing, the Aleph Institute, a Jewish criminal justice reform group, filed a letter to the federal court in New York laying out a proposed community service plan for Shvartsman to follow.
asserted
Shvartsman → file → plan
The group had been instrumental in helping secure clemency during Trump’s first term for Philip Esformes, a south Florida man who was serving a 20-year prison sentence for his role in a $1.3-billion Medicare fraud scheme.
asserted
who → help → scheme
But Shvartsman’s story didn’t have a Hollywood ending: He failed to secure a pardon.
asserted
He → have → pardon
He went to prison in January 2025 and was held in federal custody until May 29, 2026, according to Bureau of Prison records.
uncertain
He → go → records
It isn’t clear whether he remains in the U.S.
asserted
he → remain → U.S.
Though Shvartsman was unsuccessful, dozens of other wealthy convicted individuals have been able to win clemency during Trump’s time in office by spending big bucks on influence campaigns to secure their freedom.
asserted
dozens → convict → freedom
Many of them have ponied up millions of dollars to lobbyists and political insiders who have built a cottage industry out of helping monied convicts secure their freedom.
asserted
convicts → ponie → freedom
Some pardon chasers have also made big donations to pro-Trump super PACs as part of their efforts.
asserted
chasers → make → efforts
Scammers have even tried to get in on the action.
asserted
Scammers → try → action
Trump’s pardon czar, Alice Marie Johnson, recently took to social media saying that people have been impersonating her and asking for a “processing fee” to help smooth the path to clemency.
asserted
people → take → clemency
She said that neither she nor her office would ever ask for such a payment.
asserted
she → say → payment
The lawsuit against Shvartsman, brought by the Los Angeles film production company Global Ascension Studios and its chief executive, Joshua Macciello, alleges that Shvartsman and his associates demanded immediate repayment of the loan the day after the 2024 Mar-a-Lago event — nine months before it was due — and threatened Macciello’s “physical safety” if the film company didn’t pay immediately or transfer control of the company to Shvartsman.
asserted
company → bring → Shvartsman
The lawsuit alleges that Macciello modified the loan agreement under duress and agreed to give Shvartsman and his company a greater share of the film’s potential proceeds.
asserted
Macciello → allege → proceeds
It isn’t clear whether the loan has yet been repaid.
asserted
loan → repay → ?
The proceeds from the film would prove to be middling.
asserted
proceeds → prove → film
The film was released days before Trump’s 2024 election victory, but its producers blamed political bias for the movie’s lackluster box office performance after fewer theaters than expected agreed to show it.
asserted
theaters → release → it
“In 37 years, I’ve never seen creative work get censored by theaters in this country,” Arthur Sarkissian, Global Ascension Studios’ former head of production, who was involved in the project, told Deadline at the time.
asserted
who → see → time
Sarkissian, best known as a producer of the “Rush Hour” franchise, is also being sued by Global Ascension and Macciello, who accused him of fraud and breach of contract in a lawsuit filed last year in Los Angeles.
asserted
who → know → Angeles
Sarkissian has filed a counterclaim against Global Ascension, Macciello and others connected to the film production company, also accusing them of fraud and breach of contract.
asserted
Sarkissian → file → contract
