Former President Donald Trump issued pardons on July 3 to 11 individuals, including nine convicted of violating the federal Clean Air Act by tampering with vehicle emissions controls and two convicted fraudsters [1, 2, 3]. Nine of those pardoned were found guilty of circumventing emissions controls on diesel trucks by selling or installing defeat devices that disabled emissions monitoring systems [1, 2, 3]. One of the pardoned was Adam Kidan, a former business partner of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who was convicted in 2005 for fraud related to gambling boats and served nearly six years in prison before his 2009 release [1, 2]. Another pardoned individual, Jack Harvard, was convicted of bank fraud in the 1980s; his pardon cited his community contributions, including letting NATO troops train on his ranch [1].
Eight of the Clean Air Act violators pardoned were diesel mechanics or car tuners. One ran companies that grossed over $10 million from illegal sales of defeat devices [3]. Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) emissions technology, prone to breakdowns and causing costly vehicle limp mode issues, led some mechanics—particularly in Alaska—to modify emissions systems to avoid malfunctions [3]. MacKenzie “Mac” Spurlock, an Alaska mechanic whose shop was raided by EPA agents, was among those pardoned. Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan praised Spurlock’s pardon, stating, “Four years ago, about 30 armed EPA agents conducted a military-style tactical raid of Matanuska Diesel, owned by Mac Spurlock—a devoted husband and father, small business owner, and veteran of the Alaska Air National Guard” [3].
Trump posted on Truth Social that those pardoned for Clean Air Act violations were “persecuted” or imprisoned for “fixing their car” under President Joe Biden’s administration and declared, “I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!” [1, 2, 3]. Earlier on the same day, Trump signed a memo instructing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that individuals may fix their vehicles as they see fit, referencing a diesel mechanic he pardoned in November 2025 for disabling emissions systems [1, 2].
In February 2026, the Trump administration revoked federal tailpipe emissions standards and repealed a scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health [1, 2]. The pardons come amid this rollback of emissions regulations.
The most recent concrete step is Trump’s directive to the EPA and these pardons themselves, signaling a shift in enforcement related to vehicle emissions moving forward [1, 2, 3].
