Nikola founder and Trump donor Trevor Milton has received a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump, the White House confirmed Friday. The pardon could wipe out hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution that prosecutors were seeking for defrauded investors.
Milton, 42, was sentenced to four years in prison last year for exaggerating the potential of his electric vehicle technology. He had donated over $1.8 million to a Trump re-election campaign fund just months before his conviction.
Prosecutors argued that Milton falsely claimed to have built revolutionary trucks when in fact they were General Motors products with Nikola’s logo stamped on them. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in February amid reports of fraud and investors suffered heavy losses.
Milton had not been incarcerated pending an appeal, but said he was grateful for the pardon on social media Thursday night. Trump claimed that Milton was pardoned “highly recommended by many people” and suggested that Milton’s prosecution was due to his support for him.
The White House confirmed the pardon Friday, though there was no notice on their website. The decision comes after Trump has used his pardon power since taking office to commute sentences of several individuals involved in various crimes.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/nikola-trevor-milton-fraud-trump-pardon-3fcebb0a3820cecb205656f2dc3f6764