WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday granted pardons to 11 people, among them nine individuals who faced federal charges for tampering with vehicle emissions systems, a former associate of convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and a ranch owner with a post-conviction record the White House described as exemplary.
Earlier in the day, Trump previewed some of the pardons on his Truth Social platform, though he did not name any of the individuals at that time.
“It is my Great Honor to have just signed Pardons for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration, and were in, or being sent to, prison, for ‘fixing their car,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!” he added.
When the White House released the full list Friday evening, it confirmed pardons for nine people tied to violations of the Clean Air Act — specifically for disabling emissions monitoring equipment on vehicles or selling devices that allow emissions systems to be circumvented.
The pardons follow an action Trump took earlier in the week, signing a memo directing the Environmental Protection Agency to allow Americans to modify their own vehicles as they choose. During that signing, Trump referenced a diesel mechanic he had pardoned the previous year for disabling emissions monitoring systems. The memo also dealt with aftermarket auto parts and would override the authority of the California Air Resources Board to assess parts that impact vehicle emissions.
The White House said Trump had “relieved consumers from these regulatory burdens” through the pardons.
Also among those pardoned Friday was Adam Kidan, who had been a business partner of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Kidan entered a guilty plea in 2005 on charges of fraud and conspiracy connected to the acquisition of a fleet of gambling boats. He was sentenced the following year to nearly six years behind bars.
That case was part of a sweeping investigation into a lobbying scandal from the early 2000s that touched Abramoff, Capitol Hill, the Interior Department, and officials within President George W. Bush’s administration.
After his release from prison in 2009, Kidan moved into the staffing industry, eventually founding a company called Chartwell Staffing Solutions. He currently serves as president of Empire Workforce Solutions, according to the White House.
Newsday reported in March that Kidan was one of the organizers of a fundraiser held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on behalf of a Long Island Republican running for Congress.
A request for comment sent to Kidan’s business had not received a response by Friday evening.
Trump also pardoned a ranch owner named Jack Harvard, pointing to his strong record since his conviction and noting that Harvard allows U.S. military and NATO troops to conduct training exercises on his property at no cost. The White House did not provide further details about Harvard’s original conviction.
Friday’s pardons are consistent with a broader trend during Trump’s second term of using the executive power of clemency to benefit political allies, public figures, and others seen as ideologically aligned with his administration.
