By: Jordan Baker

A lobbyist who helped secure a presidential pardon for a client has now found himself facing serious federal charges after authorities accused him of orchestrating a brazen extortion scheme in New York.

Joshua Nass, a 34-year-old attorney and lobbyist, was arrested and charged with attempted extortion after prosecutors say he tried to force a former client and the man’s son to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars. As the NY Post reported, Nass was taken into custody outside a New York hotel and later appeared in federal court in Brooklyn to face the allegations.

Federal prosecutors say Nass attempted to collect roughly $500,000 that he believed he was owed for lobbying services tied to a presidential pardon effort. According to the NY Post, the charges stem from an alleged plan in which Nass recruited another individual to pressure and intimidate the client’s family into paying the money.

Authorities claim the dispute began after Nass signed an agreement with the client for $600,000 in lobbying services related to seeking clemency. As the NY Post reported, the client’s son made an initial payment of about $100,000, but later asked for a payment plan for the remainder — a request prosecutors say angered Nass and triggered the alleged extortion plot.

Investigators say Nass responded by turning to intimidation rather than legal means to recover the funds. According to the NY Post, court filings allege he hired a confidential witness to pressure the client’s son directly at his home in the New York area. The attempt failed when the son refused to engage and shut the door after being told Nass had sent the man.

But prosecutors say the scheme did not stop there. As the NY Post reported, federal authorities claim Nass and the witness discussed increasingly aggressive tactics, including physically assaulting the son or forcing him into a car with masked individuals in order to pressure the family into paying the money.

The case is especially notable because Nass had been involved in lobbying connected to a high-profile presidential pardon. According to the NY Post, he had represented a client seeking clemency from President Donald Trump, a process that has increasingly attracted political operatives and consultants offering expensive services to those hoping for pardons.

Prosecutors have not confirmed whether the extortion allegations are directly tied to the pardon lobbying work itself. However, the case highlights the growing and controversial industry surrounding presidential clemency, where wealthy defendants sometimes pay large sums to lobbyists and lawyers to advocate on their behalf.

Federal officials made clear they view the allegations as a serious criminal matter. As the NY Post reported, investigators say the case shows Nass allegedly crossed the line from lobbying into criminal coercion.

“Rather than honestly representing his client, Joshua Nass allegedly chose to shake him down,” an FBI official said in a statement cited by the NY Post, emphasizing that extortion and violent intimidation schemes remai