(José Niño, Headline USA) Three brothers found guilty of running a sex trafficking operation spanning several decades in New York have brought on veteran attorney Alan M. Dershowitz as they weigh a possible request for clemency from President Donald Trump, according to reporting from the New York Times.
Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander hired Dershowitz back in March 2025, roughly eleven months before their federal trial got underway, and financial records reviewed by the Times show they’ve since handed over hundreds of thousands of dollars for his services. Those records include a $250,000 check, a wire transfer confirmation and a billing notice from Dershowitz asking for another $250,000.
Dershowitz told the Times he does represent the Alexander family but hasn’t yet raised the topic of a pardon with them directly. He characterized his involvement as advising on “legal, constitutional and sentencing issues.” A letter he sent to the brothers’ mother, reviewed by the Times, indicates his tasks also cover pursuing “executive clemency and judicial reversal.”
He said he hasn’t brought their situation up with the president, though he has met with the brothers behind bars and stayed in touch with their trial attorneys. Each brother could receive a minimum 15 year term, with life imprisonment possible. A judge is set to hand down sentences on October 6.
“My work has been purely on legal issues completely,” Dershowitz said by phone, adding, “I would be happy to provide consultation services on any aspect.” He said he took the case because he’s known the brothers’ parents, Shlomi and Orly Alexander, for years, and confirmed he represents all three siblings. “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.”
Attorneys representing the brothers said in a joint statement they weren’t aware of any outreach to the White House. “Our sole focus has been on preparing for sentencing,” they said.
The 88 year old Dershowitz previously helped defend Trump during his first impeachment trial and has offered him foreign policy guidance at times. During Trump’s earlier term, Dershowitz reportedly influenced more clemency decisions than nearly any other adviser, contributing to at least a dozen grants, two of them pardons and ten commutations.
Once a self described “liberal Democrat,” Dershowitz announced this year he’s switching to the Republican Party and has also counseled other clemency seekers, including OneTaste, a wellness firm critics have labeled a sex cult whose founder and sales chief were convicted of forced labor conspiracy last year. His past clients include Jeffrey Epstein, and it remains unclear whether he’s had similar success influencing clemency during Trump’s current term.
Tal and twins Oren and Alon, once top earning real estate brokers, brokered Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s $24 million Florida mansion purchase in 2021, giving them existing connections in Trump’s circle.
Before their conviction, someone close to the brothers reached out to the Tzedek Association, a Jewish organization known for shaping Trump’s clemency approach, which also played a role in a commutation granted earlier this year and previously collaborated with Dershowitz on clemency matters.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
