US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One before departing Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on July 3, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - On Friday, President Donald Trump granted pardons to 11 people, including a former business partner of Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and nine individuals whom the White House said had assisted others in bypassing vehicle emissions control systems.
Dig deeper:
The acts of clemency come as Trump has issued a slew of pardons in his second term, particularly for allies, public figures and those seen as politically aligned.
His use of the presidency’s sweeping ability to unilaterally grant pardons and commute sentences is among the ways the Republican’s return to office has featured an expansive use of executive power.
What they're saying:
Trump earlier on Friday announced some of the pardons on social media, without identifying any of the recipients by name.
"It is my Great Honor to have just signed Pardons for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration, and were in, or being sent to, prison, for ‘fixing their car,’" Trump wrote on his Truth Social media network.
"I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!" he said.
The backstory:
In a list provided Friday evening by the White House, Trump pardoned 11 people, including nine who faced charges related to violations of the Clean Air Act by disabling emissions monitoring systems on vehicles or selling devices that enabled emissions systems to be bypassed.
The pardons come after Trump on Monday signed a memo telling the Environmental Protection Agency that Americans can fix their own vehicles as they see fit. As he signed the memo, Trump referenced a diesel mechanic he pardoned last year who disabled emissions monitoring systems.
The memo also addressed aftermarket auto parts and would supersede the ability of the California Air Resources Board to evaluate parts that affect vehicle emissions.
The White House, in releasing the list of those pardoned, described Trump having "relieved consumers from these regulatory burdens."
Beyond the emissions-related pardons, Trump on Friday also issued a pardon for Adam Kidan, a former business partner of Abramoff.
Kidan pleaded guilty in 2005 to fraud and conspiracy related to the purchase of a fleet of gambling boats, and in 2006 he was sentenced to nearly six years in prison.
Big picture view:
The case was part of a broader investigation of the early 2000s lobbying scandal involving Abramoff, Capitol Hill, the Interior Department and members of President George W. Bush’s administration.
After leaving prison in 2009, Kidan began working at a staffing agency, went on to found a staffing business, Chartwell Staffing Solutions, and now serves as president of Empire Workforce Solutions, the White House said.
In March, the newspaper Newsday reported that Kidan was among the hosts of a fundraiser at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for a Long Island Republican congressional candidate.
A message sent to Kidan’s business seeking comment was not immediately returned Friday evening.
Trump on Friday also pardoned ranch owner Jack Harvard, citing an "upstanding record" post-conviction and praising him for allowing the U.S. military and NATO troops to train on his land free of charge.
The White House did not immediately release additional details about Harvard, including his conviction.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The story is based primarily on official information from the White House, including its list of pardon recipients and descriptions of the clemency actions, as well as President Donald Trump's Truth Social posts announcing some of the pardons. This story was reported from Los Angeles.