Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pennsylvania) returned a donation to a man convicted of fraud in connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal following reporting that President Donald Trump pardoned him just three days after the contribution.
NOTUS reported Wednesday that Adam Kidan donated $2,600 to Mackenzie’s leadership PAC on June 30, according to Federal Election Commission records. Trump had traveled to Mackenzie’s district on June 23 to campaign alongside the congressman. Trump pardoned Kidan on July 3.
Mackenzie’s returned donation was first reported by The Morning Call.
A spokesperson for Mackenzie did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NOTUS about returning the contribution but told The Morning Call that the congressman returned the donation “to avoid even an appearance of impropriety.”
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Arnaud Armstrong, a spokesperson for Mackenzie, previously told NOTUS that Mackenzie “has never advocated for a pardon from the President on anyone’s behalf.”
Kidan donated to Mackenzie’s leadership PAC, a fundraising vehicle often used to contribute money to other like-minded candidates and political committees, and it is the most recent donation Kidan has made, according to FEC records.
Mackenzie, who represents Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, is facing off against Democrat Bob Brooks in one of the most contested House races in the country, which the Cook Political Report ranks a “toss up.”
Kidan served more than two years in prison beginning in 2006 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud. He is a notable campaign donor in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation, contributing to Republicans locked in other contested Pennsylvania races, such as Reps. Rob Bresnahan, Brian Fitzpatrick and Scott Perry.
He has donated millions of dollars to Republican causes over the years and gave more than $200,000 to Trump-affiliated committees ahead of the 2024 election cycle, federal records show.
Kidan and Abramoff were ordered to pay $217 million in restitution as part of their sentencing. It remains unclear whether Kidan paid the full amount, and Trump’s pardon is likely to erase any remaining obligations.
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