The Leiweke pardon: a $250,000 inaugural gift, then a bid-rigging case erased before trial

In January 2025 Oak View Group gave $250,000 to Trump's inaugural committee. On July 9, 2025, the Justice Department's Antitrust Division indicted Leiweke, alleging he rigged the bidding for the Moody Center arena at the University of Texas at Austin; the two companies agreed to pay penalties to resolve their potential liability.

Leiweke maintained his innocence and hired Gowdy to lobby for clemency. According to House Judiciary Democrats, Trump and Gowdy played golf together weeks before the pardon. On December 2, 2025, Trump granted a full pardon, ending the prosecution before trial. The donation preceded the indictment.

Documented

Lawful exercise of the pardon power; no finding that the donation influenced it

$250,000 inaugural donation; the charge carried up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine; OVG and Legends had agreed to pay $15 million and $1.5 million to resolve potential liability

Inaugural donation 2025-01; indicted 2025-07-09; pardoned 2025-12-02; trial had been set for 2026-05-04