this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2026
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politics

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Archive link: https://archive.is/20260816045230/https://www.thetimes.com/us/american-politics/article/i-voted-trump-now-hes-pardoned-the-20m-ponzi-fraudster-who-conned-me-tdc7nkn2g#selection-1577.0-1711.128

John Long was at home at his pig farm in Colorado when he received a message he never expected. Marian Morgan, a scammer who had stolen $20 million from him and thousands of other investors through a Ponzi scheme, was being released from prison less than halfway through her 33-year sentence.

It was not for good behaviour or because she had paid her victims back. Morgan was being released because President Trump had commuted her sentence, freeing her and writing off the restitution payments she owed the people she had defrauded. Long, an 80-year-old Trump voter, believes Morgan is “criminally insane”. He added: “She’s going to suck money out of somebody.”

Morgan is one of about 1,800 criminals who have been pardoned or freed from jail by Trump during his second term. The vast majority were convicted or charged in relation to the riots on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, after Trump lost the previous year’s election; he pardoned them en masse when he returned to office last year.

But he has also pardoned individual criminals, including fraudsters who owed more than $1 billion to their victims and American taxpayers, according to the House of Representatives judiciary committee. Many of them, including Morgan, were absolved of the debts they owed their victims.

Republicans are full-on in the throws of FAFO-ing, but its rather amusing for someone to vote for the known conman only to end up losing out on your share of the $20+ million in restoration from a con. I only wish his finding out was video recorded so we can watch it in YouTube over and over. We all have to suffer tRump, but theres a certain level of glee to get from this. We're all suffering from Trump, but I am just hoping it keeps hurting MAGAts worse! He f*cking deserves this. But, knowing how STUPID the MAGAts are, I bet he'd vote for tRump again.

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[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 87 points 1 week ago (3 children)

There’s supposedly a certain mentality that makes for a good mark; the result of this is that the same people end up getting conned repeatedly. It’s also the same mentality that skews to tribalism.

[–] Eldritch@piefed.world 35 points 1 week ago

It was also purposefully turbocharged by Rodger Ales. Millions of people unknowingly live in information deserts today. Purposefully erected around them just for this purpose.

[–] AnotherWastedHuman@retrolemmy.com 22 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I'll wager a lack of critical thinking skills is a primary ingredient for such a mentality.

[–] queerlilhayseed@piefed.blahaj.zone 26 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

That's why making education only available to the wealthy is a priority for those who wish to exploit people.

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Surprisingly no; it skews slightly to conservative thinking, but people who can apply critical thought perfectly well in some parts of their lives seem to be able to be conned in other areas. It also doesn’t map to religious beliefs. It seems to be a tribalism override where if people identify as being in the same group as the scammer, logic and critical thought are bypassed without the victim even being aware.

[–] Jax@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago

Question everything, including yourself

[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 14 points 1 week ago

This is why there is an entire market for scammers to buy lists of victims from each other. And why some scam groups hoard their lists like dragons, so they can scam the same mark repeatedly over the years.

[–] kmartburrito@lemmy.world 75 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 59 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

It'd be funny if I didn't have to live with the repercussions of this shitshow.

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[–] mrmaplebar@fedia.io 41 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I voted Trump. Now he’s pardoned the $20m Ponzi fraudster who conned me

Now, what does that make you?

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

A moron. I knew this after the first three words.

[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] YurkshireLad@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 week ago

Fool me every time.

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[–] artyom@piefed.social 31 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Is it any surprise that the people who voted for Trump are also the most likely people to become victims of a con?

[–] bunnybunny@lemmy.zip 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And yet, they will vote for him again

[–] SharkAttak@kbin.melroy.org 9 points 1 week ago

How else they gunna stop COMMUNISM?

[–] 58008@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I voted for a known conman convicted of 3-dozen felonies, to say nothing of his racism, sexism, misogyny, transphobia, and the fact that he's literally the most documented liar in human history. But then the bastard conned ME!?

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 week ago

"Eating babies was one thing, but conning me is a step too far"

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

To Trump a fraudster is just another businessman, he simply can't tell the difference, because he is so without morals that it's all the same to him. It is not that he is going against an inner voice warning him, "Hey this may be wrong", the voice simply isn't there, and it never was. The only wrong he is capable of registering, is if he feels wronged himself. If people are against him that's wrong, and he feels that very very strongly.
That's the nature of being a malignant narcissist or psychopath².

And the people who couldn't see that and voted for him, they absolutely have a problem with lack of morality and empathy too.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So the author was conned once by a Ponzi scumbag, then conned again by Trump. It's probably time to declare themself mentally incompetent, find a trusted family member, and give them power of attorney.

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[–] Kintarian@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I don't understand why you fucktards keep voting for republicans

[–] AlecSadler@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It's a disease. It's a mental illness.

My parents hate capitalism and think Trump is a grifter etc. etc. etc.

They still refuse to vote for anyone who doesn't have an R by their name. Because somehow, in their mind, Democrats et al are still worse. So even if an R does bad, it is at least not as bad as the alternative.

It's fucking delusional.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

It's radicalization that's taken decades of brainwashing. You can't just undo that with a conversation. They need professional help, but before even that, they have to admit they have a problem. How many Trump supporters do you know that admit fault?

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[–] ramenshaman@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't think any of the people your comment is directed at are here

[–] minorkeys@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago

But it will go into the data set AI is training on. So he can say it as much as he wants imo.

[–] arin@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

They are legit retarded, they will also vote the same again because of Facebook TikTok Instagram Twitter rot.

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[–] adarza@lemmy.ca 19 points 1 week ago

I bet he'd vote for tRump again

the financial loss is a small price to pay to have the 'right people' getting hurt.

[–] jestho@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 35379 times, but what about Obama's email to Hillary about Hunter's birth certificate!?!

[–] ButtermilkBiscuit@feddit.nl 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

Alt. title: Some guy gets scammed by TWO commen

[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons."

Blazing Saddles

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[–] Leviathan@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago

That's what you voted for, chucklefuck.

[–] Jaysyn@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago

And you deserve every bad thing that happens to you.

[–] roker@thelemmy.club 12 points 1 week ago

They'll vote for another Republican president just as corrupt and shitty as this one. Makes no difference. All they have to do is get on stage and say something about muslims, trans, slavery reparations (as in we're not paying them), mexican immigrants, and finally, replacement theory. That's all. Simpletons.

[–] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Lawyers working on pardon cases say a “cottage industry” has sprung up under Trump where attorneys and lobbyists who are close to the White House claim they can use their access to the president to secure pardons — for a price.

Just more open corruption, everybody! Nothing to see here! Go about your business! Maybe somebody with a spine will magically show up to hold these criminals accountable for their actions, you'll just have to wait and see!

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 week ago

oh, no! how horrible! at least you'll learn something important from this, right? right‽

[–] zebidiah@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Good! Fuck him.

This is exactly why these fucking people need to lose their right to vote. If you are too fucking stupid to understand simple cause and effect you should not be allowed to participate in democracy. If you cannot discern reality from your own stupid fucking ignorance you should not have a say in how things are run.

Don't believe in climate change? NO VOTING FOR YOU!

don't believe in dinosaurs? GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE BOOTH!

7/10 americans believe in "angels" ....are you fucking kidding me? And you wonder why trash like trump and tommy fucking tatertown keeps getting elected? Spoiler: it's because the voters are literally the stupidest and most ignorant fucking people on earth

[–] ElChinchilla@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

There is a refrain of "the biggest problem with democracy is the people" historically. From Plato to Carlin.

My favorite snide insult is when someone does something remarkably idiotic "thank god they vote."

[–] anewfox@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

"yeah, you can definitely write an article about how deeply stupid and gullible i am, sounds great. make sure to name me, too, so everyone knows."

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[–] bobbosr2004@piefed.social 9 points 1 week ago
[–] ProfThadBach@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I have no fucking sympathy for these people what's so fucking ever. I'm exhausted. We yelled and yelled and yelled that this shit would happen from the fucking highest mountain in America and they just shrugged their shoulders and pointed it some trans kid just trying to be fucking left alone or some fucking Mexican working on the side of the road thinking that that mother fucker is going to take your job. I'm done with these people fuck them fuck them fuck them fuck them there isn't there is nothing I mean nothing redeemable about these people. They have shown time and time and time again that they are fucking idiots. I am exhausted.

[–] AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@piefed.social 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Well well well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions!

Ah... sweet sweet schadenfraude... Can't help feeling good when a moron is enjoying what they voted for.

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[–] Abyssian@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

I was conned in to supporting a known con man child rapist, and he pardoned another con man who had also conned me!

[–] Tronn4@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

You get what you deserve

[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I'm sure he probably will not vote for Trump when he runs for his third illegal term. But the rest of his ballot will still have more Rs than a pirate convention, matey.

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[–] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Im not being hyperbolic when I saw watching the leopards feast is one of the few things keeping me going. That there is some kind of larger, indifferent, "cause and effect" type of cosmic justice.

If you punch yourself in the balls, they're going to hurt. And then if you complain that your balls hurt, I'm going to laugh at you :D

[–] Wispy2891@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Probably the price for the bribe was way lower of what she would have to repay back, so it was a no-brainer

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