Trevor Milton's journey from electric vehicle innovator to convicted fraudster takes an unexpected turn with a presidential pardon.
According to The Hill, President Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to Trevor Milton, the founder of Nikola, who was convicted in 2022 for deceiving investors about the company's electric truck technology.
Milton announced the news through a video posted on X, expressing his relief and newfound freedom from legal consequences. The White House has confirmed the pardon, though official documentation was not immediately available on government websites as of Friday morning. This development comes as Milton was awaiting incarceration while appealing his four-year prison sentence.
The pardon absolves Milton of his securities and wire fraud convictions, which stemmed from his misrepresentation of Nikola's zero-emission truck capabilities. His fraudulent claims caused significant financial losses to investors who believed in the company's potential. The deception included a misleading video that showed a prototype truck appearing to drive independently when it was actually rolling downhill.
Milton shared his thoughts on the pardon through social media, where he expressed gratitude to President Trump. He revealed that Trump personally called him to discuss the injustice of his case.
Milton said:
I just got a call from the president of the United States on my phone, and he signed my full and unconditional pardon of innocence. I am free. The prosecutors can no longer hurt me; they can't destroy my family; they can't rip everything away from me; they can't ruin my life.
The pardon announcement coincides with Nikola's recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, which occurred approximately one month ago. The company's financial troubles intensified following Milton's departure and the subsequent scandal. The Arizona-based enterprise is now seeking permission to auction and sell its assets.
Prosecutors demonstrated during the trial that Milton had falsely claimed Nikola was manufacturing its own trucks when they were actually General Motors products with Nikola branding. These revelations led to Milton's resignation in 2020 as the company's stock price plummeted.
The U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York, which handled Milton's prosecution, has not commented on the pardon. This same office previously secured a conviction against Trump in a criminal hush money case last year.
Since taking office, Trump has issued numerous pardons, including those for January 6 Capitol insurrection defendants, Devon Archer (a former business associate of Hunter Biden), and former Tennessee state Senator Brian Kelsey. He also pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, during his second day in office.
Bradley Bondi, brother of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, served as one of Milton's attorneys throughout the legal proceedings. The connection has drawn attention to the high-profile nature of Milton's case and subsequent pardon.
Trevor Milton, the founder of electric vehicle company Nikola, received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump for his 2022 fraud conviction. The pardon nullifies his four-year prison sentence and brings closure to a case that involved misleading investors about the company's technological capabilities.
As Nikola navigates through bankruptcy proceedings and seeks to auction its assets, Milton's pardon adds another chapter to Trump's growing list of presidential clemencies, which includes pardons for January 6 defendants and other high-profile cases.
