TRUMP PARDONS FORMER CONGRESSMAN CONVICTED OF INSIDER TRADING

President Donald Trump has issued a pardon to former Republican congressman Stephen Buyer, who was convicted of insider trading. The pardon clears Buyer of his criminal conviction, which stemmed from trades he made using non-public information. Trump's decision applies to a case that had moved through the federal court system following Buyer's departure from Congress.

Buyer represented Indiana in the House of Representatives before leaving office. He was convicted of insider trading, a federal offence involving the use of material, non-public information to make securities trades. The conviction marked one of the more prominent cases involving a former member of Congress facing criminal charges related to financial misconduct.

The pardon adds to a series of clemency actions Trump has taken since returning to the presidency. Presidential pardons fully remove federal criminal convictions and any associated penalties. Buyer's case had drawn attention because of his prior role as a lawmaker and the nature of the charges against him. The pardon takes immediate effect upon issuance by the president.