President Donald Trump has rejected a request by a former Minnesota Republican operative for a commutation of his sex trafficking sentence.
In a Justice Department posting dated July 10, Anton “Tony” Lazzaro’s name is among thousands of denials listed.
Lazzaro was convicted in 2023 of luring teenage girls to his high-rise apartment in exchange for alcohol, money and other gifts. He is serving a 21-year sentence.
He sought a presidential commutation after losing multiple federal court appeals — including a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lazzaro contended in his appeals that the laws he was charged under were vague, and that there were flaws in his trial.
He also claimed there was juror misconduct that led to political bias against him. Lazzaro’s lawyer cited social media posts by a juror that were critical of President Donald Trump and his supporters.
In response to that claim, federal prosecutors said Lazzaro’s attorneys didn’t seek to question prospective jurors about their political views during jury selection — and they also said the social media posts in question came after the trial.
Lazzaro also faces a civil lawsuit filed by one of his victims. A settlement conference in that case, held in federal court on Monday, ended in an impasse.