Ex-Indiana Gaming Lawyer Asks Trump to Pardon Him as Old Scandal Pops Up

John S. Keeler, who used to be a state lawmaker and a big-time casino lawyer, is back in the news. He is trying to get Donald Trump to pardon him. 

Clemency Push by Ex-Gaming Official Draws Fresh Attention

The request by Keeler can be seen on the US Department of Justice‘s list of people asking for clemency. He filed his application earlier this year, and they are still looking at it. The federal records do not show anyone else with his name, so it is pretty much a sure thing that this is him, according to the IndyStar.

Keeler now in his mid-70s, finished a two-month federal prison stint in 2022 after he admitted he had made his company, New Centaur LLC, file a false tax return. Prosecutors said he set up $41,000 of company money to go to a Maryland political consultant in 2016, and that some of that money — $25,000 — then went to the Marion County Republican group. Records showed the payment looked like a normal business expense on the company’s taxes, hiding what it was for.

The ex-exec had worked as a state representative for many years before climbing the ladder in Indiana’s gaming world, starting at Centaur and then moving to Spectacle Entertainment. Both firms had close ties to casino builder Rod Ratcliff, once a big player in the industry who helped expand gambling in Indiana. After a broad probe into political sway and campaign money issues linked to Spectacle’s growth plans, regulators kicked Ratcliff out of the state’s gaming scene. However, he never faced criminal charges.

Pardon Effort by Keeler Comes Amid Broad Trump Pardons

The investigation revealed that the hidden political donations affected multiple campaigns. Former state senator Brent Waltz confessed to getting indirect contributions during his failed 2016 Congressional bid and later admitted to misleading federal agents. He did a ten-month stint in prison. After leaving court, he painted himself as an accidental victim of a wider federal effort to examine Trump-linked political networks.

During his own sentencing, Keeler expressed regret, telling the court he had struggled with the choices that led him to approve the payments. His defense materials included items connecting Ratcliff to Trump, but prosecutors argued this evidence might push jurors toward partisan feelings instead of the facts. They insisted there was no sign that Keeler had been targeted.

Trump’s current pardon request comes when he is giving out an unusual number of clemency decisions. This includes broad forgiveness for hundreds of people with cases tied to the January 6 attack. Recent pardons have gone to international political figures and US elected officials facing major federal charges. It is unclear if Keeler’s long work in Indiana politics and his connections to big party donors will influence the president.