A Nursing Home Owner Got a Trump Pardon. The Families of His Patients Got Nothing.

ProPublica Legal & JudicialNews ReportEN 14 min read 100% complete by Jeremy KohlerMarch 30, 2026 at 11:00 AM

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long article 14 min

Joseph Schwartz, a nursing home operator convicted of a $39 million fraud, received a pardon from President Trump after serving only three months of his three-year sentence. Schwartz's company, Skyline Healthcare, faced multiple lawsuits alleging inadequate patient care due to cost-cutting measures. One such case involved the death of Doris Coulson, who died from aspiration pneumonia after allegedly being fed despite a "nothing by mouth" order at a Skyline facility in Arkansas. Coulson's family won a nearly $19 million judgment against Schwartz in 2020, but they have been unable to collect the damages because Schwartz had relinquished his assets. This case highlights a pattern of Trump granting clemency to nursing home operators convicted of crimes, leaving families of affected patients without recourse.

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Federal prosecutors in New Jersey charged Schwartz with orchestrating a $39 million payroll tax scheme.