Trevor Milton, the founder of the bankrupt electric vehicle (EV) company Nikola claimed President Trump pardoned him following his fraud conviction in 2022.
Milton revealed he received the pardon in an X post, where he shared that he was issued a full and unconditional pardon by Donald Trump himself.“He called me personally to tell me,” Milton added.
Milton was convicted in October 2022 and was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison in 2023 after the jury found him guilty of making false claims about his company’s technology.
Today I was issued a full and unconditional pardon by @realDonaldTrump himself. He called me personally to tell me.
This pardon is not just about me—it’s about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that’s a lot of people. It is no wonder… pic.twitter.com/qpT0jjI6Fy
— Trevor Milton (@nikolatrevor) March 28, 2025
Milton receives presidential pardon
Milton shared a video to X on March 27, 2025, claiming that President Donald Trump issued him a full pardon. Milton added, “This pardon is not just about me—it’s about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that’s a lot of people,” expressing his gratitude to Trump for the pardon.
However, there is no mention of this pardon in the Department of Justice’s catalog of presidential pardons or on the White House website.
Milton’s media team on March 27, 2025, had issued a press statement attempting to draw a parallel between MIlton’s fraud case and that of Trump, who was found guilty of falsifying business records and attempting to silence a porn actor he was allegedly involved with.
The use of presidential pardons in cases involving high-profile corporate fraud is not unprecedented. Historically, this executive power has been wielded to offer second chances or to correct what some see as overly harsh judicial outcomes. On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order pardoning about 1,500 people charged with attacking the US Capitol in 2021. Likewise, he also pardoned Ross Ulbricht, founder of the illicit marketplace Silk Road, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2015.
Milton’s conviction and Nikola problems in the EV market
Milton was convicted of one count of securities fraud and two counts of wire fraud. According to federal prosecutors, Milton misled investors about the capabilities of Nikola EV, especially Nikola One, which was responsible for some of the early successes that the company enjoyed.
According to the indictment, “MILTON made these false and misleading statements regarding Nikola’s products and capabilities to induce retail investors to purchase Nikola stock.”
The sentence serves as a cautionary tale, with U.S. Attorney Damian Williams saying, “Today’s sentence should be a warning to start-up founders and corporate executives everywhere — ‘fake it till you make it’ is not an excuse for fraud, and if you mislead your investors, you will pay a stiff price.”
In February 2025, Nikola filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and pursued the sale of its assets. The EV maker’s valuation fell from over $27 billion to $50 million. Nikola CEO Steve Girsky said, “Like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic factors that have impacted our ability to operate, unfortunately, our very best efforts have not been enough to overcome these significant challenges.”
Other than Nikola’s legal problems, the EV market has seen serious levels of disruption. Elon Musk’s EV company Tesla has also grappled with issues, such as production delays, regulatory scrutiny, and declining stock value.
Cryptopolitan Academy: Tired of market swings? Learn how DeFi can help you build steady passive income. Register Now
