President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to former Republican Congressman Stephen Buyer, who was convicted of insider trading and served nearly two years in prison. The pardon, dated Thursday and released Friday, comes after Buyer maintained his innocence throughout his legal battles.

Buyer, a former Indiana congressman and Gulf War veteran, was sentenced in 2023 to 22 months in prison for making illegal stock trades based on non-public information after leaving office. He was also ordered to forfeit over $350,000 in illegal gains and pay a $10,000 fine. Buyer was released from prison in 2025.

In granting the pardon, President Trump cited Buyer's "distinguished and highly productive" career, including his service as a judge advocate general in the U.S. Army and his time in the U.S. House of Representatives. Buyer, 67, expressed gratitude, stating the pardon "corrects a politically motivated prosecution" and that he was "horrific to be imprisoned for a crime that I did not commit."

The implications of the pardon are significant, as it absolves Buyer of his conviction for federal crimes. The U.S. Constitution grants the president broad power to issue pardons, which do not erase a criminal record but do restore rights and privileges lost due to a conviction.

Buyer's legal troubles stemmed from insider trading related to the 2018 merger of T-Mobile and Sprint, and illegal trades in the consulting firm Navigant while his client Guidehouse was preparing to acquire it. These actions occurred while Buyer was working as a consultant and lobbyist after his congressional tenure.

Support for Buyer's pardon came from various political figures. Trump himself had previously shared letters on his Truth Social platform requesting the pardon. Over 40 former Republican members of Congress signed a letter suggesting Buyer was "targeted by the deep state" due to his role as a prosecutor in the 1998 impeachment trial of Democratic President Bill Clinton. They also drew parallels to "lawfare" allegedly conducted by the Biden Administration.

Furthermore, five current House Republicans, including Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Ken Calvert of California, signed a letter in June 2025 arguing that pardoning Buyer would bring justice to his case. Buyer, who left the House in 2011, also served on Trump's 2016 presidential transition team, focusing on veterans' issues.

The Supreme Court had rejected Buyer's appeal in May without comment, leaving the conviction intact before the presidential pardon. The pardon effectively nullifies the consequences of his conviction for federal offenses.