President Trump Grants Pardons Related to Right to Repair Advocacy
On Friday, President Donald Trump issued executive pardons for six individuals, stating they were “persecuted” by the Biden administration merely for “fixing their car.” In a Truth Social post, he criticized federal prosecutions as part of the “Weaponization and Stupidity” of the previous administration, declaring, “I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!”
These pardons coincide with Trump’s initiative to support the “right to repair.” Earlier, he signed a presidential memo to facilitate Americans in repairing their vehicles by safeguarding self-repair rights and expanding options for aftermarket parts.
The clemency appears to be related to a federal environmental case involving Elite Diesel Service Inc. and its owner, Troy Lake Sr., who received a full pardon on November 7, 2025, nullifying his conviction in the case United States v. Elite Diesel Service, Inc. et al.
Senator Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., engaged with Fox News regarding the Biden administration’s perceived “EPA overreach” in Lake’s case, noting the prosecution for violating the Clean Air Act.
“It came to my attention because I noticed they were arresting people for fixing their car,” Trump stated during an Oval Office news conference. “We rule by common sense.”
Federal plea agreements revealed that Elite Diesel had advised employees to disable on-board diagnostic systems on at least 344 heavy-duty trucks between 2017 and 2020. Such diagnostic systems are mandated under the Clean Air Act to oversee emissions control systems.
Lake was sentenced on December 5, 2024, to over a year in prison and fined $2,500. The company was placed on five years’ probation, obligated to pay a $37,500 fine, and required to contribute $12,500 to a Colorado emissions repair program for low-income drivers.
Officials claimed Elite Diesel’s co-conspirators, comprising other truck garages and fleets, enlisted Lake’s company to modify computers so emission system faults could remain unnoticed. This extended investigation implicated eight associated garages and fleets in states including Kansas, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
These businesses faced substantial fines and were tasked with community service projects, like purchasing clean school buses to counter environmental repercussions.
The prosecutions were defended by the Biden administration as vital for public health. EPA Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Lance Ehrig accused the defendants of orchestrating a “large-scale conspiracy” that compromised air quality.
Prosecution cited a study suggesting the altered trucks emitted more than 1,300 tons of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney hasn’t yet updated its site to reflect those granted clemency. The White House hasn’t commented on Fox News Digital’s inquiry.
Alexandra Koch, a Fox News Digital Editor, focuses on impactful events influencing national conversation, covering major crises like L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation incidents, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.