Trump pardons Stephen E. Buyer

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2026 — President Donald J. Trump granted a full pardon to Stephen E. Buyer, the former Indiana congressman and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman.

The proclamation, issued under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, cites the advice and recommendation of specified individuals whose names appear in the official White House release. It restores Buyer’s right to vote, serve on a jury, hold federal office, and possess firearms, and it removes other collateral consequences of his federal conviction.

Buyer, who represented Indiana’s 4th and 2nd congressional districts from 1993 to 2011, faced federal charges after leaving office. The pardon nullifies the legal disabilities that stemmed from that conviction. No monetary penalties, restitution amounts, or prison sentences are detailed in the proclamation itself.

The action takes effect immediately upon issuance. Federal agencies that impose collateral consequences based on the conviction must now treat Buyer as pardoned. Courts, licensing boards, and background-check systems that rely on federal records will update their treatment of his case.

Downstream, the pardon ends any remaining federal bar on Buyer’s participation in government contracts, lobbying restrictions tied to his conviction, and certain employment disqualifications. It also clears the way for Buyer to seek restoration of any state-level rights that automatically followed the federal conviction.

Congress and executive agencies retain authority over separate statutory disqualifications not covered by the pardon.

This is the latest clemency action taken by Trump in 2026. The White House has used the same constitutional authority for other pardons and commutations earlier this year. The Buyer proclamation follows the standard form of presidential pardons issued since the founding, which operate without requiring acceptance by the recipient or approval by any other branch.