President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to Tim Leiweke, the co-founder of venue developer Oak View Group, wiping out a federal bid-rigging case brought earlier this year, according to a clemency document released by the Justice Department.
Leiweke was indicted in July on an antitrust charge alleging he orchestrated a scheme to restrain competition by steering the bidding process for a public university arena project in Austin, Texas.
"I do not have the words to adequately convey my profound gratitude to President Trump," Leiweke said.
"This has been a long and difficult journey for my wife, my daughter, and me. The president has given us a new lease on life with which we will be grateful and good stewards."
Prosecutors alleged that a rival agreed to stand down in exchange for subcontracting work, leaving Oak View Group as the sole qualified bidder for the project.
"As outlined in the indictment, the defendant rigged a bidding process to benefit his own company and deprived a public university and taxpayers of the benefits of competitive bidding," Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater said in a July statement announcing the indictment.
The clemency grant was signed Dec. 2. Leiweke has denied wrongdoing.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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