Trevor Milton, the founder of embattled electric vehicle startup Nikola, was granted a presidential pardon Thursday night by Donald Trump, according to a White House statement confirmed Friday.
Milton had been sentenced last year to four years in prison following a fraud conviction tied to exaggerated claims about Nikola’s technology and performance. Federal prosecutors had also been pursuing hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution for defrauded investors — a process now likely impacted by the pardon.
The decision to absolve Milton drew immediate scrutiny, particularly in light of financial records from the Federal Election Commission showing that Milton and his wife donated over $1.8 million to a Trump-aligned political action committee just weeks before the 2024 election.
Milton, who had remained free while appealing his conviction, announced the pardon himself Thursday night through a press release and social media, writing, “I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for his courage in standing up for what is right and for granting me this sacred pardon of innocence.”
While the White House acknowledged the pardon, it had not yet been formally posted to the administration’s website.
Fraud Fallout Still Looms Over Nikola
Once hailed as a rising star in the clean energy vehicle space, Nikola has faced a sharp decline since Milton’s resignation in 2020 amid fraud allegations. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year, citing dwindling cash reserves and workforce cuts, including 855 layoffs in Arizona.
Milton founded Nikola in a Utah basement and quickly positioned it as a revolutionary force in zero-emissions trucking. But prosecutors later revealed that key videos — including one showing a Nikola truck in motion — were staged with inoperable vehicles. In one instance, a truck was filmed coasting downhill to simulate self-powered movement.
During the trial, Nikola’s current CEO testified that Milton was “prone to exaggeration” when courting investors. Prosecutors said Milton falsely claimed Nikola had developed its own proprietary vehicles, when in fact they were repurposed GM models.
Following the fallout, Nikola settled a civil case with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2021 for $125 million, without admitting wrongdoing.
Milton’s pardon adds another twist to the saga of one of Wall Street’s most notorious startup scandals — and raises new questions about political influence and accountability.
