Weston Mercury

The British billionaire, who handed ownership of the club to the Lewis Family Trust in 2022, was fined five million US dollars (£3.8 million) after he pleaded guilty in January 2024 to charges alleging he had committed securities fraud and conspired to commit securities fraud by insider trading.

A White House official confirmed the pardon and said Lewis, 88, requested it so that he could receive medical treatment and visit his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the US, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

He had initially denied the charges of securities fraud and conspiracy with which he was faced.

According to prosecutors, he passed secrets to romantic partners, personal assistants and friends.

The information allowed them to bet on companies in which he had invested, using information only those with access to the business could have known.

The Lewis family took full operational control of Tottenham this year, after former chairman Daniel Levy stepped down.

Lewis will not be returning to the club, which will continue to be run by the next generation of the Lewis family.

Lewis said: “I am pleased all of this is now behind me, and I can enjoy retirement and watch as my family and extended family continue to build our businesses based on the quality and pursuit of excellence that has become our trademark.”

A source close to the family added: “Joe and the Lewis family are extremely grateful for this pardon and would like to thank President Trump for taking this action.

“Over his long business career, Joe has been a visionary, creating businesses across the world which multiple generations of his family are now taking forward.

“This is why there is so much more to the Joe Lewis story than this one event.”

Lewis built his wealth through the investment company Tavistock Group, and bought a controlling stake in Tottenham Hotspur in 2001.

In 2022 he ceded control of the club and formally handed his stake to a family trust and has no day-to-day involvement with the club.

Spurs is now run by Joe Lewis’s daughter Vivienne, his son Charles, and Vivienne’s husband Nick Beucher, as well as non-executive chairman Peter Charrington and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham.

Mr Levy stepped down as chairman of the club in September after nearly 25 years.

Ghana forward Kudos fired the winner shortly before the hour-mark after Leeds winger Noah Okafor had cancelled out Mathys Tel’s opener for Tottenham before the break.

It was Leeds’ first home league loss since a 1-0 defeat to Burnley in September 2024 and their third in the top flight this season, while Tottenham notched their fourth Premier League win under Thomas Frank.

The Londoners, who began the day in fifth place, have lost only one of their 11 matches in all competitions since Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou in June, while they have won on their last three visits to LS11.

Leeds, unchanged for four successive matches, quickly showed their intent through Sean Longstaff’s crunching tackle before Joe Rodon’s header from Anton Stach’s free-kick hit a post.

Joao Palhinha was wayward with a first chance for Spurs, who made five changes after Tuesday’s 2-2 Europa League draw against Bodo/Glimt in Norway.

The visitors threatened again as Destiny Udogie’s angled shot was blocked by Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow and more incisive play saw them take the lead in the 24th minute.

Kudus slipped Tel away down Leeds’ left channel and after racing to the edge of the box, the French winger unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner via a deflection off Pascal Struijk.

Kudus should have doubled Tottenham’s lead soon after when he fired wide from inside the penalty area as Leeds began to look ragged.

But Farke’s side regrouped. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was wayward after creating space inside the area and 10 minutes after falling behind they hauled themselves level.

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was only able to parry Brenden Aaronson’s deflected low effort and summer signing Okafor turned home the rebound for his second goal of the season.

Longstaff lashed over from the edge of the box as Tottenham began to creak, but in a see-saw encounter, the visitors went close to a second when Tel’s header from Wilson Odobert’s cross struck the crossbar before half-time.

The two sides resumed in pouring rain and half-chances continued to flow.

Darlow blocked Pedro Porro’s cross and at the other end Vicario was at full stretch to keep out Calvert-Lewin’s low strike.

A slip by Leeds defender Gabriel Gudmundsson helped Tottenham regain the lead in the 57th minute.

The Sweden left-back was dispossessed near the penalty are by Kudus, who darted inside and arrowed a low left-footed inside Darlow’s near post, via another deflection off Struijk.

But after edging back in front, Tottenham were unable to dictate the tempo and Leeds went close when Longstaff thundered a low shot narrowly wide.

Leeds swept forward in the closing stages, but substitute Joel Piroe was foiled by Vicario’s low save and Struijk’s header was deflected narrowly over.

Spurs could have gone second and two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool with a sixth win in nine matches under new boss Thomas Frank, but were instead indebted to Palhinha’s curled finish in the fourth minute of stoppage time to rescue a 1-1 draw.

Bayern Munich loanee Palhinha was impressed with Tottenham’s first-half display – where Mohammed Kudus had a close-range header tipped onto the crossbar by Sam Johnstone and another effort ruled out for offside. Lucas Bergvall also fired a 12-yard volley over.

Bottom-of-the-table Wolves reacted at half-time with Vitor Pereira going back to his trusted 3-4-2-1 formation and they went ahead in the 54th minute when Santiago Bueno tapped in after Guglielmo Vicario had denied Ladislav Krejci from a corner.

Frank made multiple substitutions and tactical tweaks after the deadlock had been broken, but Tottenham struggled to fashion clear-cut opportunities until Pape Sarr teed up Palhinha to find the bottom corner from 18 yards for his third goal of the season to earn a point.

“I think it’s mandatory to win these games. I think we give everything and we fight until the last moment – everyone on the pitch. We try to score, try to get the draw but it is a sad draw in my opinion and we wish much more from this game,” Palhinha reflected.

“I think we did a really good first half and when we suffer the goal, we start to drop a lot in my opinion.

“We didn’t have the patience in the right moments when we need to find the good way to score and we need to be much more calm in these moments because it will be key for us.

“We will not start winning all the games, we know even for the future, but when we start to lose 1-0 the game, we need to be much more calm on the ball and especially try to create more chances.

“Yeah it’s a result that for me feels like a loss. I said before that these are the games that are mandatory to win, especially in our home, but now we need to focus on the Champions League.”

Spurs travel to Norway on Monday to face Bodo/Glimt a day later.

Wolves remain winless in the Premier League, but followed up the midweek Carabao Cup success over Everton with another solid display.

Pereira said: “I feel we start to work with the team two weeks ago.

“Before the Everton game, we start to work with the team because before it was not possible. Some of them came the end of the market and after they go to the national team.

“Now we are working tactically and mentally, the tactical page, to put them on the tactical page, to understand in two different systems.

“I am very happy with the players because in the last two games against Everton and today we show we can compete.”