Still, she wanted to push harder. She asked for help from a former Democratic congressman from Dallas with contacts in the administration. That was close to buying a pardon,'' she said. The fee I quoted was for three different people working on the matter. It was not that I had a friend in high places to go to.
Many applicants have no legal representation.
It was all kind of mysterious,'' she said. Her husband won his pardon this month. At the White House, the lobbying on behalf of felons stepped up. Mr. Rich, through his lawyer, Mr. Quinn, the former White House counsel, began pushing for a pardon, something that former pardon lawyers said was exceptional, since he remained a fugitive. The president eventually granted their request.