Nursing-home operator

Joseph Schwartz

a.k.a. “The Broker’s Best Client”

He withheld employment taxes from nursing-home workers’ paychecks and didn’t pay them over. He got three years and a $5 million restitution order. Then he hired the pardon brokers 60 Minutes later caught on hidden camera. Three months into his sentence, he was pardoned.

Rap sheet

Convicted of: Willful failure to pay over employment taxes; failure to file a benefit-plan report [1]
Court: District of New Jersey [1]
Sentenced: April 10, 2025: 36 months in prison; $100,000 fine; $5,000,000 restitution [1]
Granted: Pardon, November 14, 2025 [2]

The receipt

PARDONMAXXING JOSEPH SCHWARTZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Money on the table (reported)

Pardon brokers Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl [3] $960,000
Lobbyist Joshua Nass, later indicted for extortion [4] $100,000

Wiped off the books

Restitution and fine [1] $5,100,000
Prison [3] About 33 of 36 months

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Coincidence ROI”* 381%

Thank you for your business
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*Satire. Money erased ÷ money on the table, minus one. We’re not saying there’s a connection. The math is just sitting there.

Gold is money that was reportedly spent near the President’s orbit. Red is what the grant wiped away. We list what was reported and when. We don’t claim one caused the other. How we count.

Timeline

April 10, 2025 The law Sentenced to three years. [1]
undefined 2025 The money Pays Burkman & Wohl $960,000 to push for a pardon. [3]
November 14, 2025 The pardon Pardoned about three months into his sentence. [2][3]
April 24, 2026 Meanwhile Joshua Nass, a second lobbyist on the case, is indicted. Prosecutors say he tried to extort another $500,000 from Schwartz’s son. [4]

“Apparently he’s got money somewhere.”

Melissa Coulson, whose family is owed a $19 million judgment [5]

Detective’s notes

Commentary

Families of nursing-home patients who won civil judgments against him say they still haven’t been paid. His lobbyists, it’s safe to say, were paid.

One lobbyist got the pardon. According to prosecutors, the other one then tried to shake down the family for more. Customer service in this industry has room to grow.

Sources

Clemency grants by President Donald J. Trump, 2025–present (archived Sept. 20, 2026) U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney, via the Internet Archive
Signed clemency warrant: Joseph Schwartz U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney · November 14, 2025
The pardon brokers (hidden-camera investigation) CBS News, 60 Minutes · September 13, 2026
Lobbyist for man pardoned by Trump indicted on extortion charges Reuters via U.S. News · April 24, 2026
On the pardon and the nursing-home families still owed money ProPublica