Pardon-linked attorney charged in Brooklyn extortion case over unpaid fees

A New York lawyer tied to a Donald Trump pardon is charged in Brooklyn with attempted Hobbs Act extortion for allegedly threatening a former client and the client’s son over a roughly $500,000 debt, including directing an enforcer to intimidate them. Nass faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted and was released on a $5 million bond secured by multiple properties and GPS monitoring. Prosecutors note Nass had earlier been paid about $100,000 for advocacy related to executive clemency and Trump’s pardon of Joseph Schwartz, underscoring ongoing questions about lobbying’s role in presidential clemency.