Report claims Jho Low in frame for Trump pardon, White House says he’s ‘not on the radar’

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, is among those being considered for a possible presidential pardon by US President Donald Trump as part of a proposed Independence Day clemency initiative, The Atlantic reported today.

In a June 30 report, the US news and current affairs magazine said White House officials have discussed a proposal dubbed “250 pardons for 250 years”, under which 250 pardons would be announced to coincide with the US’ 250th anniversary celebrations over the Fourth of July weekend.

However, it said the proposal has yet to be presented to Trump and may never reach his desk, with advisers reportedly divided over whether such a move would be politically beneficial.

Citing three people familiar with the discussions, The Atlantic said Jho Low was among those under consideration.

The publication wrote that “among the individuals being considered are the Malaysian fugitive Low Taek Jho, also known as ‘Jho Low,’ who is wanted for his alleged role in an international financial-fraud scheme that diverted billions of dollars, involving a company known as 1MDB.”

However, after the story was published, a White House official told The Atlantic: “While the President is the final decision maker on all pardons, these individuals are not on the radar of the pardon team.”

The publication also said former Fugees member Pras Michel, who was convicted over a lobbying scheme linked to Jho Low, was among those reportedly being considered.

Representatives for Jho Low did not respond to The Atlantic’s request for comment, the report said.

Jho Low is widely regarded as a central figure in the multibillion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, in which investigators in several countries alleged that billions of dollars were misappropriated from the Malaysian state investment fund through a complex web of transactions.

US authorities have accused him of conspiring to launder money and bribe foreign officials in connection with the scheme. He has denied wrongdoing through his representatives. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Malaysia, the United States and several other jurisdictions have pursued criminal and civil actions linked to the 1MDB scandal, while Malaysian authorities continue to seek Jho Low’s arrest.

The scandal also prompted the US Department of Justice to launch what it described as its largest-ever civil forfeiture action to recover assets allegedly purchased with funds misappropriated from 1MDB.

According to The Atlantic, discussion of the proposed “250 for 250” initiative has triggered intense lobbying by lawyers and intermediaries seeking clemency for clients ahead of any possible announcement.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the publication that Trump “takes his absolute constitutional power to issue pardons and commutations seriously” and that requests undergo “a rigorous review process involving the Department of Justice and the White House Counsel’s Office” before reaching the president.