Less than six months after the Department of Justice indicted Tim Leiweke for allegedly orchestrating a bid-rigging scheme, President Trump has officially pardoned the former entertainment executive.
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According to ABC News, Leiweke received his pardon on Dec. 2. A federal grand jury previously indicted him for “orchestrating a conspiracy to rig the bidding process for an arena at a public university in Austin, Texas.”
Head of DOJ’s antitrust division, Abigail Slater, shared in a press release at the time, “As outlined in the indictment, the Defendant rigged a bidding process to benefit his own company and deprived a public university and taxpayers of the benefits of competitive bidding. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to hold executives who cheat to avoid competition accountable.”
Leiweke’s charge had a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Details about the pardon have not been disclosed.
The Entertainment Executive Shared His Gratitude to President Trump Over the Pardon
In a statement, Leiweke expressed his gratitude for President Trump pardoning him.
“This has been a long and difficult journey for my wife, my daughter, and me,” he stated. “The President has given us a new lease on life with which we will be grateful and good stewards.”
David Gerger, a lawyer who represented Leiweke, said in a statement that the pardon “Is the right result.”
Leiweke criticized President Trump in the past, calling him the “world’s single greatest con man” in a since-deleted 2024 social media post. He praised former Vice President Mike Pence for “standing up and fighting for our Constitution and due process” in 2023.
During his time as an entertainment executive, Leiweke ran several professional sports franchises. He was president of the Denver Nuggets from 1991 to 1995. He also co-founded Oak View Group (OVG)in 2015.
“We are happy for Tim that he can now put this matter behind him,” a spokesperson for OVG shared in a statement. “OVG has remained steadfastly focused on delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients under the leadership of our CEO, Chris Granger.”
OVG previously agreed to pay $15 million in penalties related to the allegations against Leiweke.