According to NOTUS, a nonprofit news organization that covers the federal government, Baton Rouge rapper Boosie Badazz is attempting to recoup $300,000 from a Washington lobbying firm he hired to assist him in requesting a pardon from President Donald Trump.
Boosie, whose real name is Torence Hatch, paid JM Burkman & Associates $600,000 in 2025 to advocate for a pardon in his federal gun case.
According to federal lobbying records, the business was registered to represent Hatch in communications with Congress, the White House, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to the documents, the firm’s objective was to assist him in getting a presidential pardon. Hatch is now pursuing arbitration, a private procedure used to resolve disputes outside of court, according to NOTUS.
The article claims that on New Year’s Day, Hatch’s lawyer was informed by the lobbyists that Trump had signed the pardon and that they were awaiting an announcement from the White House.
According to NOTUS, Hatch’s lawyer was unable to verify that a pardon had been issued, and the pardon was never made public.
Additionally, according to the news outlet, a White House assistant informed Hatch’s lawyer that the aide had not received Hatch’s pardon request. According to a signed contract, Hatch had to pay the entire $600,000 up advance.
According to the contract, $300,000 was not refundable. It states that if Hatch did not get a pardon by a certain date and requested a written refund, the remaining $300,000 would be reimbursed. The claim that JM Burkman & Associates promised to reimburse half of the funds is disputed.
Burkman later informed Hatch that the company was unable to provide the return because it owed millions of dollars in fines and other debts, according to NOTUS.
