Trump Official Gives Update on Joe Giudice Pardon

U.S.NewsPoliticsAI PoliticsTechFact CheckSportsGlobalIran WarRussia-UkraineMiddle EastChina And AsiaLive BlogBetter PlanetAll World NewsLifestyleFamily & ParentingEntertainmentTravelPetsAutomotiveRelationshipsScienceHealthPersonal FinanceBetter WorkplacesReaders ChoiceOpinionMy TurnAll OpinionRankingsHealthCorporate ResponsibilityFinanceProductsEducationWorkAll RankingsWatchThe 1600The Royal ReportUnconventionalFrom The PaddockNewsmakersSocialFacebookInstagramYouTubeRedditTikTokTwitter/XExtraNewslettersDare to DreamEventsEssaysPodcastsVantageInsightsMagazineCEO CircleAnnouncementsLeadershipDev Pragad A senior Trump administration official has weighed in on the push for a presidential pardon for former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Joe Giudice, whose federal convictions led to removal proceedings and his departure from the United States while a removal order was outstanding. Lynne Patton, a deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, shared a photo on Instagram on Monday with Giudice's ex-wife, Teresa Giudice, and their daughter, Gia Giudice, expressing support for second chances while emphasizing that she does not decide who receives presidential clemency. According to Patton, Teresa and Gia Giudice were at the White House at the invitation of the president and first lady in recognition of Columbus Day and Italian-American heritage. "I am not in charge of pardons. Nor do I decide who receives them," Patton wrote in the Instagram post. She said the decision belongs to the president and described any recommendations made by White House officials as part of that process. "However, I will say this," she wrote. "I believe deeply in second chances. After all, the president and his family personally gave me one. Or ten." Patton said she has known the Giudice family for nearly two decades and has attended gatherings at their New Jersey home. "Do I believe that Joe deserves a second chance? Unfortunately, it is not my place to decide," she wrote. "But what I do know is that one of his beautiful daughters desperately needs him now more than ever." “We remain hopeful that the President's belief in second chances and the importance of family will provide an opportunity for Joe to return to the United States,” Jessica M. Cadavid, Joe Giudice’s immigration attorney, told Newsweek in an emailed statement Monday. “We will continue working toward bringing Joe home, where he belongs, so that he can once again be part of his family's everyday life. Every birthday, holiday, and family milestone spent apart represents precious moments that cannot be replaced,” Cadavid continued, adding, “Our hope is that Joe will have the opportunity to make new memories with his loved ones without missing any more of these important moments.” “We know how much his family loves him and how tirelessly they have advocated for this pardon. Their continued support is incredibly meaningful, and we remain committed to doing everything we can to help open the door for Joe's return to the United States,” she said. A White House official told Newsweek in an email Monday that submitting a pardon request does not indicate it is under consideration, adding that the White House clemency team is not currently tracking the request. The official said all clemency requests undergo a review process, with the president ultimately deciding whether to grant clemency under his constitutional authority. The Giudices' third daughter, Milania Giudice, has faced several high-profile incidents in recent months, including a domestic violence arrest and the release of body-camera footage from an encounter at Miami International Airport. Joe Giudice has publicly appealed to Trump for a pardon. In June 2025, he wrote: "President Trump, I respect you and I'm asking for a second chance." Previous Reality Pardon The effort follows Trump's May 2025 pardons of fellow reality television personalities Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley, who were serving federal prison sentences. Both were released from prison following the pardons. The Chrisleys were convicted by a federal jury in 2022 of bank- and tax-fraud offenses, including conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and Julie Chrisley to seven, according to the Justice Department. Their pardons helped inspire Gia Giudice's campaign for her father. She later said seeing the Chrisley family reunited "gave our family hope" and inspired her family to press Joe Giudice's case, Fox News reported. But Joe Giudice's case adds an immigration dimension. The request puts two elements of Trump's agenda at odds: his use of presidential clemency and an immigration crackdown that has emphasized removing noncitizens with criminal records. In February, the White House said that more than 400,000 deportations under the administration involved people charged with or convicted of crimes. Giudice, an Italian citizen who was admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident in 1971, faced removal proceedings following his federal fraud convictions. Legal Expert Weighs In Immigration attorney Yuliya Pashkova, founder of Lux Law in San Diego, told Newsweek in a statement provided through Qwuoted on Monday that a presidential pardon could remove a major obstacle for Joe Giudice but would not automatically allow him to return to the United States. Pashkova has been licensed since 2005 and focuses her practice on immigration matters including family immigration, asylum, EB-1 and EB-2 national interest waiver petitions and appeals. Her firm says she was born and raised in Siberia and immigrated to the United States as an adult. "A pardon would be a very important milestone for Giudice, because it would probably remove the fraud conviction for immigration purposes," Pashkova said. "He was removed because he became deportable and inadmissible because of that conviction. If pardoned, he would no longer be inadmissible." However, Pashkova said that a pardon would address only the first of several potential obstacles. "That is just the first hurdle," she said. "The next one is overcoming the removal order. A person who was deported after a conviction like his cannot simply apply for a new visa. He first needs the government's special permission to apply again, a separate discretionary application, and the pardon does not grant it automatically." Pashkova said Giudice would also need an eligible person in the United States, such as a close relative, to petition for him. "So realistically, he has a path that could lead him to the U.S.," she said. "But it would be a multi-step process measured in years. What a pardon really buys him is the chance to ask, with the biggest obstacle removed." Why Did Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice Go to Prison? Teresa and Joe Giudice were sentenced to federal prison in 2014 after pleading guilty to charges stemming from what federal prosecutors described as a long-running financial fraud conspiracy. According to the Justice Department, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and several bankruptcy fraud counts. Joe Giudice also pleaded guilty to failing to file a tax return. Prosecutors said the couple deceived financial institutions through false loan applications and concealed assets and income during bankruptcy proceedings. Teresa Giudice was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, while Joe Giudice received a 41-month sentence. Joe Giudice's case carried additional immigration consequences because he was an Italian citizen rather than a U.S. citizen. After completing his prison sentence in March 2019, Giudice remained in immigration custody while challenging a deportation order. He left for Italy in October 2019 after asking to be released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody while his legal challenge continued. In April 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit denied Giudice's petition seeking review of the Board of Immigration Appeals' decision affirming an immigration judge's refusal to terminate his removal proceedings, according to court records. Giudice later moved to the Bahamas. Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice's Legal Timeline July 2013: Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice were indicted in a federal case involving allegations that they used false information to obtain loans and concealed income and assets during bankruptcy proceedings. March 2014: The couple pleaded guilty to federal crimes including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud. Joe Giudice also pleaded guilty to failing to file a tax return. October 2014: Teresa Giudice was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and Joe Giudice to 41 months. 2015: Teresa Giudice served about 11 months of her 15-month sentence. 2016: Joe Giudice began serving his 41-month federal prison sentence. March 2019: Joe Giudice completed his prison sentence and remained in immigration custody while challenging removal. October 2019: Giudice left the United States for Italy after asking to be released from ICE custody while his challenge to his deportation order continued. April 2020: The Third Circuit denied Giudice's petition for review of the immigration decision against him. June 2025: Giudice publicly appealed to Trump for a pardon, saying he wanted a "second chance" and to be able to visit his daughters in the United States. 2025: Gia Giudice said the Chrisley pardons gave her family hope and inspired their efforts on behalf of her father. August 2026: Gia Giudice said the family had filed a "humanitarian packet" and was trying to get her father pardoned in hopes that he could return to the United States or at least visit. Can Trump Pardon Joe Giudice? Trump can exercise presidential clemency over Giudice's federal offenses. The Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney describes pardons as one form of executive clemency, while the federal court record establishes that Giudice's convictions at issue were federal offenses. A pardon could also affect the immigration consequences associated with his convictions. In a 1995 opinion, the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel concluded that a full and unconditional presidential pardon precludes deportation based on the criminal grounds addressed in that opinion. Giudice's situation, however, is more complicated because he is already outside the United States after departing while a removal order was outstanding. Federal immigration law separately restricts admission for certain noncitizens who have previously been removed or who departed while a removal order was outstanding. Whether those or other restrictions would apply to Giudice following a pardon would depend on the specifics of his immigration case. A pardon, therefore, does not mean he is automatically able to return to the United States. Gia Giudice said in August that the family had filed a "humanitarian packet" and hoped to get him pardoned so that he could return to the United States or at least visit. Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jenni Fink, Dave Siminoff, Gray R. Thomas.10Loading video…By Hollie SilvermanNews Editor

0ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.A senior Trump administration official has weighed in on the push for a presidential pardon for former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Joe Giudice, whose federal convictions led to removal proceedings and his departure from the United States while a removal order was outstanding.

Lynne Patton, a deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, shared a photo on Instagram on Monday with Giudice’s ex-wife, Teresa Giudice, and their daughter, Gia Giudice, expressing support for second chances while emphasizing that she does not decide who receives presidential clemency.

According to Patton, Teresa and Gia Giudice were at the White House at the invitation of the president and first lady in recognition of Columbus Day and Italian-American heritage.

“I am not in charge of pardons. Nor do I decide who receives them,” Patton wrote in the Instagram post.

She said the decision belongs to the president and described any recommendations made by White House officials as part of that process.

“However, I will say this,” she wrote. “I believe deeply in second chances. After all, the president and his family personally gave me one. Or ten.”

Patton said she has known the Giudice family for nearly two decades and has attended gatherings at their New Jersey home.

“Do I believe that Joe deserves a second chance? Unfortunately, it is not my place to decide,” she wrote. “But what I do know is that one of his beautiful daughters desperately needs him now more than ever.”

“We remain hopeful that the President’s belief in second chances and the importance of family will provide an opportunity for Joe to return to the United States,” Jessica M. Cadavid, Joe Giudice’s immigration attorney, told Newsweek in an emailed statement Monday.

“We will continue working toward bringing Joe home, where he belongs, so that he can once again be part of his family’s everyday life. Every birthday, holiday, and family milestone spent apart represents precious moments that cannot be replaced,” Cadavid continued, adding, “Our hope is that Joe will have the opportunity to make new memories with his loved ones without missing any more of these important moments.”

“We know how much his family loves him and how tirelessly they have advocated for this pardon. Their continued support is incredibly meaningful, and we remain committed to doing everything we can to help open the door for Joe’s return to the United States,” she said.

Related StoryWhy Was Joe Giudice Deported? Bravo Star Asks Trump for PardonA White House official told Newsweek in an email Monday that submitting a pardon request does not indicate it is under consideration, adding that the White House clemency team is not currently tracking the request. The official said all clemency requests undergo a review process, with the president ultimately deciding whether to grant clemency under his constitutional authority.

The Giudices’ third daughter, Milania Giudice, has faced several high-profile incidents in recent months, including a domestic violence arrest and the release of body-camera footage from an encounter at Miami International Airport.

Joe Giudice has publicly appealed to Trump for a pardon. In June 2025, he wrote: “President Trump, I respect you and I’m asking for a second chance.”

The effort follows Trump’s May 2025 pardons of fellow reality television personalities Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley, who were serving federal prison sentences. Both were released from prison following the pardons.

The Chrisleys were convicted by a federal jury in 2022 of bank- and tax-fraud offenses, including conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and Julie Chrisley to seven, according to the Justice Department.

Their pardons helped inspire Gia Giudice’s campaign for her father. She later said seeing the Chrisley family reunited “gave our family hope” and inspired her family to press Joe Giudice’s case, Fox News reported.

But Joe Giudice’s case adds an immigration dimension. The request puts two elements of Trump’s agenda at odds: his use of presidential clemency and an immigration crackdown that has emphasized removing noncitizens with criminal records. In February, the White House said that more than 400,000 deportations under the administration involved people charged with or convicted of crimes.

Giudice, an Italian citizen who was admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident in 1971, faced removal proceedings following his federal fraud convictions.

Immigration attorney Yuliya Pashkova, founder of Lux Law in San Diego, told Newsweek in a statement provided through Qwuoted on Monday that a presidential pardon could remove a major obstacle for Joe Giudice but would not automatically allow him to return to the United States.

Pashkova has been licensed since 2005 and focuses her practice on immigration matters including family immigration, asylum, EB-1 and EB-2 national interest waiver petitions and appeals. Her firm says she was born and raised in Siberia and immigrated to the United States as an adult.

“A pardon would be a very important milestone for Giudice, because it would probably remove the fraud conviction for immigration purposes,” Pashkova said. “He was removed because he became deportable and inadmissible because of that conviction. If pardoned, he would no longer be inadmissible.”

However, Pashkova said that a pardon would address only the first of several potential obstacles.

“That is just the first hurdle,” she said. “The next one is overcoming the removal order. A person who was deported after a conviction like his cannot simply apply for a new visa. He first needs the government’s special permission to apply again, a separate discretionary application, and the pardon does not grant it automatically.”

Pashkova said Giudice would also need an eligible person in the United States, such as a close relative, to petition for him.

“So realistically, he has a path that could lead him to the U.S.,” she said. “But it would be a multi-step process measured in years. What a pardon really buys him is the chance to ask, with the biggest obstacle removed.”

Teresa and Joe Giudice were sentenced to federal prison in 2014 after pleading guilty to charges stemming from what federal prosecutors described as a long-running financial fraud conspiracy.

According to the Justice Department, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and several bankruptcy fraud counts.

Joe Giudice also pleaded guilty to failing to file a tax return. Prosecutors said the couple deceived financial institutions through false loan applications and concealed assets and income during bankruptcy proceedings.

Teresa Giudice was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, while Joe Giudice received a 41-month sentence.

Joe Giudice’s case carried additional immigration consequences because he was an Italian citizen rather than a U.S. citizen.

After completing his prison sentence in March 2019, Giudice remained in immigration custody while challenging a deportation order. He left for Italy in October 2019 after asking to be released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody while his legal challenge continued.

In April 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit denied Giudice’s petition seeking review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ decision affirming an immigration judge’s refusal to terminate his removal proceedings, according to court records.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DeZXFK4lpMD/?hl=en&img_index=1

July 2013: Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice were indicted in a federal case involving allegations that they used false information to obtain loans and concealed income and assets during bankruptcy proceedings.

March 2014: The couple pleaded guilty to federal crimes including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud. Joe Giudice also pleaded guilty to failing to file a tax return.

October 2014: Teresa Giudice was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and Joe Giudice to 41 months.

2015: Teresa Giudice served about 11 months of her 15-month sentence.

2016: Joe Giudice began serving his 41-month federal prison sentence.

March 2019: Joe Giudice completed his prison sentence and remained in immigration custody while challenging removal.

October 2019: Giudice left the United States for Italy after asking to be released from ICE custody while his challenge to his deportation order continued.

April 2020: The Third Circuit denied Giudice’s petition for review of the immigration decision against him.

June 2025: Giudice publicly appealed to Trump for a pardon, saying he wanted a “second chance” and to be able to visit his daughters in the United States.

2025: Gia Giudice said the Chrisley pardons gave her family hope and inspired their efforts on behalf of her father.

August 2026: Gia Giudice said the family had filed a “humanitarian packet” and was trying to get her father pardoned in hopes that he could return to the United States or at least visit.

Trump can exercise presidential clemency over Giudice’s federal offenses. The Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney describes pardons as one form of executive clemency, while the federal court record establishes that Giudice’s convictions at issue were federal offenses.

A pardon could also affect the immigration consequences associated with his convictions.

In a 1995 opinion, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded that a full and unconditional presidential pardon precludes deportation based on the criminal grounds addressed in that opinion.

Giudice’s situation, however, is more complicated because he is already outside the United States after departing while a removal order was outstanding.

Federal immigration law separately restricts admission for certain noncitizens who have previously been removed or who departed while a removal order was outstanding.

Whether those or other restrictions would apply to Giudice following a pardon would depend on the specifics of his immigration case. A pardon, therefore, does not mean he is automatically able to return to the United States.

Gia Giudice said in August that the family had filed a “humanitarian packet” and hoped to get him pardoned so that he could return to the United States or at least visit.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martynhere.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jenni Fink, Dave Siminoff, Gray R. Thomas.