Doj Dismisses Case Against A Trump Donor After White House Fired Career Prosecutor

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department dropped a lawsuit against edifice group Fat Brands and its chairman, Andy Wiederhorn, connected Tuesday, months aft nan White House took nan unusual measurement of straight firing a profession national prosecutor who was handling nan case.

The authorities filed an unopposed motion connected Tuesday to disregard a lawsuit against Wiederhorn arsenic good arsenic William Amon, Rebecca Hershinger and Fat Brands, Inc., which alleged a strategy to conceal $47 cardinal paid to Wiederhorn. The authorities besides revenge a abstracted motion to disregard a lawsuit against Wiederhorn successful which he was charged pinch possessing a firearm and ammunition contempt his erstwhile felony convictions.

In a press release announcing nan lawsuit against Wiederhorn, Fat Brands, Inc., Amon and Hershinger past year, then-U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said nan allegations progressive Wiederhorn utilizing nan institution "as his individual slush fund," while an IRS charismatic said nan allegations showed Wiederhorn was a "serial taxation cheat." Fat Brands, Widerhorn, Amon and Hershinger had each pleaded not blameworthy past year.

The mobility to disregard nan national lawsuit came months aft Trump protagonist and right-wing activistic Laura Loomer and others called connected nan president to occurrence Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Schefier, nan lead charismatic connected nan Fat Brands case, highlighting anti-Trump comments he made during a previous, unsuccessful bid for Congress arsenic a Democrat. Schleifer was fired successful March.

While galore recent dismissals of profession national prosecutors person travel from Attorney General Pam Bondi, Schleifer was fired successful an email from nan White House Presidential Personnel Office.

Andy Wiederhorn successful 2013.Jeffrey Neira / CBS via Getty Images file

A erstwhile seasoned of nan U.S. Attorney's Office for nan Central District of California said it was "bizarre" and "insane" for nan White House to beryllium firing profession prosecutors.

Wiederhorn donated almost $19,000 to Trump and Republican causes successful nan 2024 cycle, as noted by Bloomberg Law.

“From time one, we person maintained Andy’s innocence,” Wiederhorn lawyer Nick Hanna of nan rule patient Gibson Dunn said successful a statement. “We are highly grateful that nan U.S. Attorney’s Office listened to our arguments and determined, successful nan interests of justice, that each charges should beryllium dropped.”

Douglas Fuchs, different lawyer for Wiederhorn, said nan authorities took nan "appropriate step" successful dismissing nan lawsuit and that "this is simply a lawsuit pinch nary victims, nary losses, and nary crimes."

Wiederhorn said he was “grateful to nan U.S. Attorney’s Office for taking a caller look astatine this lawsuit and to nan attorneys who worked tirelessly connected my behalf and connected behalf of nan different defendants" and that he looked "forward to focusing connected nan continued maturation and occurrence of FATBrands.”

The unopposed mobility to disregard nan lawsuit against each defendants was signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Reidy and names Interim U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli, who has been vocal astir his support for Trump’s schedule connected societal media and successful media appearances.

Fat Brands owns a number of edifice brands, including Fatburger, Johnny Rockets and Twin Peaks.