2026-04-07T16:29:19.124Z / 路透社
作者：卢克·科恩 玛丽莎·泰勒
2026年4月7日 格林尼治标准时间下午4:29 更新，3小时前更新
美国纽约市一家养老院的地板上的护工，2021年1月6日。路透社/由纪·岩村 档案照片 购买授权，将在新标签页打开
- 摘要
- 纳斯据称雇佣前有敲诈勒索前科者实施恐吓
- 客户施瓦茨2024年就3800万美元税务欺诈认罪
- 特朗普在施瓦茨三年刑期开始三个月后为其赦免
纽约4月7日（路透社）——法庭记录显示，一名曾帮助被判税务欺诈的养老院所有者获得唐纳德·特朗普总统赦免的说客，目前正与检察官进行认罪协商，以解决敲诈指控。
游说公司默卡瓦策略创始人约书亚·纳斯律师于3月13日被捕，罪名是雇佣他人恐吓前客户及其儿子，迫使他们向其支付50万美元。法庭文件未指明该前客户身份，但两名知情人士表示，此人是约瑟夫·施瓦茨，也就是去年获得赦免的养老院所有者。
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周一晚间提交的法庭文件中，纳斯的律师请求总部位于布鲁克林的美国地方法官詹姆斯·曹将检察官获取起诉书的最后期限从4月13日推迟至4月27日，以便继续协商。
“这段额外时间是必要的，以便各方就案件可能的解决方案进行磋商，”纳斯的辩护律师写道，并补充称检察官已同意该请求。
纳斯尚未认罪。他的律师未立即回复置评请求。布鲁克林美国检察官办公室的发言人拒绝置评。
根据检方消息，2025年12月，纳斯前客户的儿子同意就一份价值60万美元的游说服务合同向纳斯支付10万美元。根据法庭提交的联邦调查局投诉文件，2025年1月，纳斯雇佣一名此前有敲诈勒索前科者威胁并袭击该客户及其儿子。
投诉文件未说明游说服务的具体内容。
国会游说记录显示，纳斯自2025年11月13日起代表施瓦茨“请愿赦免/减刑”。记录显示，纳斯在2025年第四季度为施瓦茨提供的服务为其带来10万美元收入。
现年66岁的施瓦茨于2024年11月在新泽西联邦法院就一起3800万美元的税务欺诈计划认罪。特朗普于2025年11月14日为其赦免，此时距他在纽约州奥蒂斯维尔联邦监狱开始三年刑期仅不到三个月。
施瓦茨的律师凯文·马里诺拒绝置评。
美国总统拥有赦免联邦罪行的不受限制的权力。历史上，总统通常会在任期结束前经过全面审查程序后发布赦免或减刑。特朗普在其第二任白宫任期内，比其前任更早、更频繁地动用减刑权力。
路透社纽约的卢克·科恩与华盛顿的玛丽莎·泰勒报道；大卫·加芬编辑
Lobbyist for man pardoned by Trump in plea talks on extortion charges
2026-04-07T16:29:19.124Z / Reuters
By Luc Cohen and Marisa Taylor
April 7, 2026 4:29 PM UTC Updated 3 hours ago
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A walker is seen on the floor of a nursing home facility in New York City, U.S. January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Yuki Iwamura/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
- Summary
- Nass allegedly hired ex-racketeering convict for intimidation
- Client Schwartz pleaded guilty to $38 million tax fraud in 2024
- Trump pardoned Schwartz three months into three-year sentence
NEW YORK, April 7 (Reuters) – A lobbyist who helped a nursing home owner convicted of tax fraud secure a pardon from President Donald Trump is in talks with prosecutors over a potential plea agreement to resolve extortion charges, court records showed.
Attorney Joshua Nass, founder of lobbying firm Merkava Strategies, was arrested on March 13 on charges of hiring someone to intimidate a former client and his son into paying him $500,000. Court papers do not identify the former client, but two people familiar with the matter said it was Joseph Schwartz, the nursing home owner who received the pardon last year.
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In a court filing on Monday night, Nass’ lawyers asked Brooklyn-based U.S. Magistrate Judge James Cho to push the deadline for prosecutors to secure an indictment to April 27 from April 13 as talks continue.
“This additional time is necessary to afford the parties time to confer regarding a potential resolution of the case,” Nass’ defense lawyers wrote, adding that prosecutors consented to the request.
Nass has not entered a plea. His lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s office declined to comment.
In December 2025, the son of Nass’ former client agreed to pay Nass $100,000 toward a $600,000 contract for lobbying services, according to prosecutors. In January, Nass hired someone previously convicted of racketeering to threaten and assault the client and his son, according to an FBI complaint filed in court.
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The complaint did not describe the nature of the lobbying services.
Congressional lobbying records show that Nass agreed to represent Schwartz in connection with “petitioning for a pardon/clemency” starting on November 13, 2025. Nass earned $100,000 in connection with his work for Schwartz in the fourth quarter of 2025, records show.
Schwartz, 66, pleaded guilty in New Jersey federal court in November 2024 to a $38 million tax fraud scheme. Trump pardoned him on November 14, less than three months after he began serving a three-year sentence in an Otisville, New York federal prison.
Schwartz’s lawyer Kevin Marino declined to comment.
U.S. presidents have unchecked power to grant clemency for federal crimes. Historically, presidents have granted pardons or sentence commutations toward the end of their terms after extensive review processes. Trump, during his second term in the White House, has made far earlier and more frequent use of the clemency power than his predecessors.
Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York and Marisa Taylor in Washington; editing by David Gaffen
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