Nikola founder Milton claims Trump pardoned him

by Today's Trucking

Trevor Milton, the founder of bankrupt electric and hydrogen-powered truck maker Nikola who was convicted of fraud, said in a social media post that he has been pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Milton was sentenced to four years in prison in 2023 after a jury found him guilty of lying to investors about the company’s technology.

“Today I was issued a full and unconditional pardon by Donald Trump himself. He called me personally to tell me,” Milton said in a post on X.

“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,” he added.

Milton was convicted of fraud charges after prosecutors portrayed him as a con man after starting his company in a Utah basement.

Milton resigned in 2020 amid reports of fraud that sent Nikola’s stock prices into a tailspin. Investors suffered heavy losses as reports questioned Milton’s claims that the company had already produced zero-emission 18-wheel trucks.

Last month, Nikola and its Hyla hydrogen fueling subsidiary filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. and was seeking to sell itself.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*