Boosie Badazz Says “60 Minutes” Didn’t Tell His Full Story in $600K Pardon Dispute
BATON ROUGE, La. — Boosie Badazz says a recent “60 Minutes” report did not include the full story behind his disputed $600,000 payment to two Washington lobbyists who were hired to pursue a presidential pardon.
Following the broadcast, Boosie said on social media that he participated in an hourlong interview but only a small portion of his account appeared in the final segment.
The Baton Rouge rapper said the omitted material included his account of meeting with White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson before hiring the lobbyists. According to Boosie, he believed Johnson might assist with his clemency request before his federal gun case was initially dismissed and later revived.
CBS News reported that Boosie paid lobbyists Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl $600,000 upfront after they allegedly led him to believe their connections could help secure a pardon from President Donald Trump.
Boosie maintains that their agreement required half of the payment—$300,000—to be returned if he did not receive a pardon. He has filed an arbitration claim seeking the money.
Burkman and Wohl dispute his account and deny owing him a refund. Burkman told CBS News that the final written agreement was never signed and that the remaining arrangement was verbal. Both men also said their work on Boosie’s behalf was legitimate.
CBS reported that messages presented during its investigation referenced several political figures and Trump allies who could allegedly assist with the pardon effort. Representatives for some of the people named denied endorsing Boosie’s request, while Wohl and Burkman denied sending one of the messages highlighted by CBS.
Boosie did not receive a pardon. He was sentenced earlier this year to three years of supervised release, 300 hours of community service and a $50,000 fine following his federal gun conviction.
The White House told CBS News that Burkman and Wohl have no relationship with the president and warned that people who pay private lobbyists to obtain pardons may be wasting their money.
Boosie said he believes his appearance on “60 Minutes” may still support his effort to recover the disputed funds. However, he maintains that viewers were not shown enough of his interview to understand the full circumstances surrounding his pardon request.
CBS News has not publicly responded to Boosie’s criticism in the reporting reviewed by Urban Updatez.
Source Credit: CBS News / “60 Minutes” and Boosie Badazz via X
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