OneTaste is pursuing Trump-era clemency channels after its founder and former sales chief were sentenced in a forced-labor conspiracy case.
OneTaste, the San Francisco company once described by prosecutors as resembling a sex cult, is seeking pardons from President Trump for two former leaders convicted in a federal forced-labor conspiracy case, CBS News reported, citing interviews and records.
The company has filed pardon applications with the Justice Department for founder Nicole Daedone and former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz, according to federal records cited by CBS. A federal judge sentenced Daedone in late March to nine years in prison and Cherwitz to more than six years after their 2025 convictions. Both have appealed.
The clemency effort also reaches beyond the formal Justice Department process. CBS reported that OneTaste and its allies have sought support from figures in Trump’s political and media orbit, including lawyers, consultants and influencers who may help draw attention to the case.
Alan Dershowitz, the high-profile defense attorney who advised on OneTaste’s legal appeal, told CBS he believes the prosecution was overly broad and raises concerns about religious freedom. OneTaste CEO Anjuli Ayer defended the outreach as a response to what she called an injustice, saying supporters see “a justice issue here.”
Prosecutors accused Daedone and Cherwitz of coercing staff into demeaning and traumatic work, including sexual acts, for little or no pay. Defense attorneys argued that OneTaste was a women’s empowerment business and that participants could leave. OneTaste has described itself as an “orgasmic meditation” company.
The pardon campaign comes as clemency seekers increasingly look for informal routes to reach Trump and his advisers. Rachel Barkow, a New York University law professor who studies executive clemency, told CBS that the scale of outreach to MAGA allies and influencers marks a sharp change in how pardon campaigns are being waged. “We don’t seem to have a functioning clemency process for everyone else who doesn’t have these connections,” she said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said people spending money to lobby for pardons are “foolishly wasting their money,” and that the administration uses a review process involving White House counsel, the Justice Department and the president, who makes the final decision.
CBS reported that OneTaste also made overtures to former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Roger Stone, Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer. Stone told CBS the convictions raise constitutional issues; Bannon declined comment, Loomer said she did not recall the outreach, and Gaetz did not respond to requests for comment.
The case has also drawn attention from conservative activists who argue it reflects government overreach. CBS reported that people connected to OneTaste attended meetings at the pardon office this year with officials including Ed Martin, the U.S. pardon attorney. The Justice Department declined to comment to CBS, and Martin did not answer emailed questions.
For now, the formal pardon applications remain pending, leaving the decision with a process that the White House says ends with Trump himself.
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