P.G. Sittenfeld
| P.G. Sittenfeld | |
| Occupation | Writer; former city council member |
|---|---|
| Known for | Cincinnati City Council; 2022 federal bribery conviction; 2025 presidential pardon |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
P.G. Sittenfeld is an American writer and former Cincinnati City Council member. In 2022 he was convicted on federal corruption charges of bribery and attempted extortion and sentenced to 16 months in prison, of which he served fewer than five months. President Donald Trump pardoned him in May 2025, and in April 2026 the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously in his favour, clearing the way for his case to be dismissed.[1][2]
Conviction
Sittenfeld, a Democrat, was found guilty in 2022 of agreeing to accept $20,000 in contributions to his political action committee from undercover FBI agents who posed as advocates for a downtown Cincinnati property development.[1]
He was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison and ultimately served fewer than five months. He was also ordered to pay a $40,000 criminal fine.[1][3]
A federal appeals court upheld the conviction in February 2025.[3]
Pardon and Supreme Court
President Trump pardoned Sittenfeld in May 2025.[4]
A pardon does not by itself vacate a conviction, and Sittenfeld continued to press for the underlying convictions to be thrown out rather than merely forgiven. The Department of Justice subsequently asked the Supreme Court to dispose of the convictions.[5]
In April 2026 the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in his favour and returned the case to the appeals court, clearing the path for dismissal.[2][3]
Writing and Speaking
Sittenfeld is a graduate of Princeton University. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Free Press, Esquire and America Magazine, and he speaks at law schools, law firms, prisons, business clubs and trade associations.[6]
Sittenfeld presented to the White Collar Support Group's Tuesday Night Speaker Series on June 2, 2026.[6]
References
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwcpo - ↑ 6.0 6.1 White Collar Support Group, "P.G. Sittenfeld: From Princeton to Politics to Prison to Supreme Court Petitioner," June 2, 2026. https://prisonist.org/resources/pg-sittenfeld-princeton-politics-prison-supreme-court/