1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern and disappointment regarding President Trump's recent pardon of Joseph Schwartz, the former owner of Skyline Healthcare nursing home chain. This decision, made on November 14, 2025, has effectively erased Schwartz's three-year prison sentence, $100,000 fine, and $5 million in restitution for a $38 million employment tax fraud scheme. The scale and nature of Schwartz's crimes are staggering. He diverted payroll taxes meant for the IRS and mismanaged employee 401(k) plans, actions that directly harmed thousands of hardworking Americans. At its peak, Skyline Healthcare operated 95 nursing homes across 11 states. The collapse of this enterprise put 15,000 employees and 7,000 vulnerable patients at risk, necessitating emergency state intervention. What makes this pardon particularly troubling are the reports that Schwartz paid $960,000 to lobbyists Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl to secure this federal pardon. While the White House denies any connection, this raises serious questions about the integrity of our justice system and the potential for wealthy individuals to buy their way out of accountability. This pardon is not an isolated incident. It follows a disturbing pattern of executive clemency in the long-term care sector, with Schwartz being the third high-level nursing home executive freed by President Trump. This trend sends a dangerous message that financial crimes against our elderly and most vulnerable citizens are ultimately negotiable. I urge you to take immediate action. We need a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this pardon and the lobbying efforts involved. Furthermore, I implore you to propose and support legislation that would prevent such abuses of the pardon power, especially in cases involving large-scale fraud in critical sectors like healthcare. The integrity of our justice system and the protection of our most vulnerable citizens are at stake. We cannot allow a "special tier of justice" for those who can afford to pay for lobbying efforts. As David Kingsley of the Center for Health Information and Policy aptly stated, Schwartz was "the biggest nursing home crook in history." His pardon is not just an injustice to his victims, but a threat to the rule of law itself. I look forward to hearing about the concrete steps you plan to take to address this issue and prevent similar occurrences in the future. Our elderly citizens, healthcare workers, and the integrity of our justice system deserve nothing less than your immediate and decisive action.