Boosie Seeks $300,000 Refund After Failed Trump Pardon Bid

Rapper Boosie Badazz, whose legal name is Torence Hatch, is reportedly seeking to recover $300,000 from the Washington D.C. lobbying firm JM Burkman & Associates. Hatch paid the firm $600,000 in 2025 to lobby for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The pardon was sought following Hatch's conviction on charges of possessing a loaded weapon during a 2023 music video shooting. The lobbying effort ultimately failed to secure the desired pardon.

According to a report from Notus, which covers the federal government, Hatch paid the full $600,000 fee to JM Burkman & Associates to advance his pardon request. The firm has stated that no partial refund was promised in their agreement. Hatch, who hails from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, hired the firm with the expectation of a successful outcome regarding the pardon.

The conviction that prompted the pardon bid involved a charge of possessing a loaded weapon. The incident occurred during a music video shooting in 2023. The failure of the lobbying firm to achieve the pardon has led to the current dispute over the refund of half the total payment made by the rapper.