President Donald Trump just freed a man many call a victim of bureaucratic overreach. On May 26, 2025, he issued a full pardon for former Virginia Sheriff Scott Jenkins, convicted of bribery in a case that reeks of selective prosecution. The move has progressives clutching their pearls, but conservatives see it as justice served.

According to Newsmax, Jenkins, once sheriff in a county two hours from Washington, D.C., was found guilty in December 2024 of taking over $75,000 in bribes to appoint auxiliary deputy sheriffs. Trump’s pardon erased a 10-year prison sentence handed down in March 2025. 

The story began when Jenkins accepted campaign contributions from individuals seeking deputy sheriff roles. These payments, labeled bribes by prosecutors, secured badges and credentials for the payors. Sounds shady, but was it worse than the political games played in D.C. every day?

Jenkins’ Conviction Sparks Debate

The Justice Department claimed the appointed deputies were neither trained nor vetted and provided no legitimate services. Yet Jenkins, a lawman with deep community ties, argued he was unfairly targeted. His direct appeal to Trump’s administration shows a man desperate for fairness, not a hardened criminal.

“I believe wholeheartedly in the president,” Jenkins said. His faith paid off, as Trump’s pardon ensures he won’t spend a decade behind bars. Contrast that with the left’s silence when they skate free on technicalities.

“I know he would help if he knew my story,” Jenkins added. His conviction stemmed from campaign contributions, a practice not uncommon in politics, yet rarely prosecuted with such zeal. The hypocrisy stinks louder than a Beltway swamp.

Trump’s Pardon Stirs Controversy

Trump didn’t mince words, calling Jenkins a “victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice.” That’s a polite way of saying the system was out to get him. Conservatives nod in agreement, seeing this as another case of selective outrage from a politicized DOJ.

“Sheriff Scott Jenkins, his wife Patricia, and their family have been dragged through HELL,” Trump declared. The president’s vivid language paints a picture of a family crushed by bureaucratic vendettas. Meanwhile, the left cries foul, conveniently ignoring their history of leniency toward allies.

“He will NOT be going to jail tomorrow, but instead will have a wonderful and productive life,” Trump promised. This pardon isn’t just a legal act; it’s a middle finger to a system many see as corrupt. Actions, as they say, speak louder than woke sermons.

A Pattern Of Pardons Emerges

Trump’s clemency for Jenkins isn’t his first rodeo. In January 2025, he pardoned nearly all those charged in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, a move that sent shockwaves through the left. Critics called it reckless, but supporters saw it as correcting overblown punishments.

In February 2025, Trump also pardoned a former Illinois governor convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat. The pattern is clear: Trump targets cases where he believes justice was skewed by political motives. Agree or not, it’s a bold stand against establishment overreach.

Jenkins’ case, though, hits closer to home for conservatives. A local sheriff, not a D.C. insider, caught in a federal dragnet smells like a setup to many. The Justice Department’s silence on the pardon only fuels suspicions of bias.

Justice Or Political Theater?

The Justice Department official who trumpeted Jenkins’s conviction in 2024 hasn’t commented on the pardon. No surprise there—when the narrative flips, the bureaucrats scatter. Their silence speaks volumes about the case’s shaky foundation.

For Jenkins, the pardon means freedom from a 10-year sentence that many argue was disproportionate. Was he a saint? No, but the punishment never fit the crime in the eyes of Trump and his base.

This saga reminds us that justice isn’t blind when politics are involved. Trump’s pardon of Jenkins is a win for those who believe the system targets conservatives unfairly. The left may scream, but in the end, actions have consequences—and so does mercy.