U.S. President Donald Trump granted a pardon to Tim Leiweke on Wednesday, following his indictment by the Justice Department five months earlier. Leiweke was accused of participating in a scheme to manipulate the bidding process for an arena at a public university in Austin, Texas. Despite maintaining his innocence, Leiweke was pardoned by Trump, who described it as a “full and conditional pardon” without specifying the reasons for the decision.
Facing a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million, Leiweke stepped down as the CEO of Oak View Group, a company he co-founded that focuses on sports and real estate. Previously serving as the head of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) from 2013 to 2015, Leiweke moved on to lead Oak View Group, which manages various venues across North America, such as Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, London, Ont.’s Canada Life Place, and Hamilton’s TD Coliseum after its recent renovation.