Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander, three prominent brothers convicted of running a decades-long sex-trafficking scheme in New York earlier this year, have enlisted the lawyer Alan M. Dershowitz in their apparent pursuit of a pardon from President Trump.
They retained him in March 2025, nearly 11 months before their trial began in New York federal court, and since then have paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to financial documents obtained by The New York Times.
Those documents include a copy of a check for $250,000, as well as a wire transfer receipt and an invoice from Mr. Dershowitz requesting an additional $250,000.
Mr. Dershowitz confirmed to The Times that he was working for the Alexander family, but said he had not yet discussed options for a pardon with them, describing his role as a consultant on “legal, constitutional and sentencing issues.” According to a letter reviewed by The Times, written by Mr. Dershowitz to the mother of the men, his work also includes pursuing options of “executive clemency and judicial reversal.”
He had not discussed their case with President Trump, Mr. Dershowitz said, and although he had visited the brothers in prison and held regular conversations with their criminal defense lawyers, he had not yet explored avenues for a pardon with them. The brothers each face a minimum of 15 years and a potential life sentence. Their sentencing is scheduled for October 6.
“My work has been purely on legal issues completely,” Mr. Dershowitz said in a phone interview, but added, “I would be happy to provide consultation services on any aspect.” Mr. Dershowitz said he took on the case because he knew Shlomi and Orly Alexander, the brothers’ parents. He confirmed that he was working on behalf of all three brothers.
“I saw that they were facing very serious consequences,” he said. “I don’t ever turn down a case based on the government’s allegations.”
Lawyers for the Alexander brothers, in a joint statement, said they were not aware of any efforts to contact the White House on behalf of their clients. “Our sole focus has been on preparing for sentencing,” they wrote.
Mr. Dershowitz, 88, a high-profile lawyer, has ties to Mr. Trump, having helped to defend him during his first impeachment trial, where he was acquitted, and advising him at times on foreign policy.
In Mr. Trump’s first term, Mr. Dershowitz was credited with shaping more of the president’s clemency decisions than almost any other advocate. He played a role in at least 12 clemency grants, including two pardons, which wipe away most consequences of convictions, and 10 commutations, which reduce prison sentences.
He was sought after by other clemency seekers looking for an edge in a system in which connections to the president are seen as a way to skip to the front of the line. Lawyers and lobbyists with ties to the president have charged steep rates to people seeking to avoid or shorten prison sentences.
Mr. Dershowitz, who once described himself as a “liberal Democrat” but announced this year that he was joining the Republican Party, has also provided advice to others seeking clemency this year. He counseled OneTaste, a wellness company described by critics as a sex cult. The company’s founder and director of sales were convicted of forced labor conspiracy last year, and they are in federal prison in Brooklyn.
It is not clear if Mr. Dershowitz — whose decades-long career has included representing Jeffrey Epstein — has had as much success in helping to secure clemency grants in the second Trump administration.
The brothers — Tal Alexander, 40, and the twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 39, who were raised in Florida — have their own connections in Mr. Trump’s orbit. Oren Alexander and Tal Alexander, who had been among the highest-earning real estate brokers in the country before their arrest, represented Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in their purchase of a $24 million Florida mansion in 2021.
The Alexanders began exploring avenues for seeking pardons from even before they were found guilty of sex trafficking and assault against both women and girls.
Last year, a person close to the brothers made inquiries with the Tzedek Association, a Jewish group that has been influential in shaping Mr. Trump’s clemency grants and criminal justice policies. The Tzedek Association, which was involved in at least one commutation granted this year, worked with Mr. Dershowitz on clemency issues during the first Trump administration.
Less than three months after their arrest, the documents show, the Alexander family paid Mr. Dershowitz’s retainer of $250,000. The Times reviewed a photograph of a check dated March 5, 2025, made out to Mr. Dershowitz and signed by Orly Alexander. The Times also reviewed a receipt from a wire transfer showing a transaction on that same day of $500,000, with a handwritten note scrawled below noting the funds had been wired after selling stocks belonging to Alon Alexander. “Send 250k to Dershowitz,” it noted.
More than a year later, Mr. Dershowitz sent a letter to Ms. Alexander, the mother, and to Inbal Rosenthal, who is the family’s accountant, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who agreed to speak under the condition of anonymity to protect their privacy. He was owed more money, he wrote.
“Between March 1, 2025, and June 11, 2026, I have devoted 142 ¾ hours” on behalf of the Alexander brothers, Mr. Dershowitz noted. His work included visiting them personally, meeting with their lawyers and reviewing options for clemency and pardons, he wrote. He noted that his hourly fee had increased to $2,750, but he was billing at his previous rate of $2,500 and was now owed an additional $106,857 on top of the retainer.
“Please wire an additional retainer of $250,000,” he wrote.
Kenneth P. Vogel contributed reporting.
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