Trump pardoned 11 people in the United States on Independence Day. Who “offended Biden”? Most were charged for car modifications.

The day before American Independence Day, the White House was unusually busy granting clemency. On July 3 local time, Donald Trump signed a pardon order after a closed-door meeting, pardoning 11 people at once, most of whom were diesel pickup truck owners convicted of violating the Clean Air Act and tampering with vehicle emission systems. He declared on Truth Social, "I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!"

(Previous context: Trump plans to 'pardon 250 criminals' for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, with lobbying prices up to $2 million)

(Background supplement: SBF pardon hopeless? U.S. bipartisan senators jointly propose legislation! Cynthia Lummis attacks: He stole billions of dollars)

Key Summary

• Trump pardons 11 people, most involved in emissions defeat devices violating the Clean Air Act.
• Trump claims these 11 were just "fixing their cars" and were persecuted by the Biden administration.
• Report: '250th anniversary pardon of 250 people' list stalled, SBF not yet pardoned.

The day before American Independence Day, the White House was unusually busy granting clemency. On July 3 local time, Trump posted directly on Truth Social after a closed-door meeting, writing in all caps, "I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!" This order pardoned 11 people at once, timed for the day before Independence Day, as if deliberately chosen.

Most were because they modified their own cars

Trump described this group as victims of the "weaponization and stupidity" of federal prosecutors, saying they were just "fixing their cars" before being targeted by the Joe Biden administration. In plain terms, their actual crimes relate to emission regulations, involving the U.S. Clean Air Act.

They either privately removed or tampered with vehicle emission monitoring systems, or manufactured and sold software or hardware commonly known as "defeat devices," used to bypass exhaust emission controls, causing diesel pickup engines to directly emit black smoke—a practice known in the U.S. modification community as "rolling coal."

The numbers reported by various media outlets vary slightly, with up to 9 people related to this emissions case. Among them, details of 3 have been publicly disclosed more clearly:

• Joshua Davis: Sentenced to cease manufacturing, selling, and installing defeat devices, and pay $600k.
• Jonathan Achtemeier: Tampered with emission monitoring devices on hundreds of vehicles, already pleaded guilty.
• Ryan and Wade Lalone brothers: Removed emission control systems from semi-trailer trucks, each sentenced to 1 year of probation.

The 11th name had nothing to do with emissions: Adam Kidan, former business partner of lobbyist scandal figure Jack Abramoff, involved in the SunCruz Casinos fraud case, included in the same pardon list.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has pardoned emission violators. His Department of Justice earlier this year ordered the dismissal and abandonment of criminal investigations and pending cases related to defeat devices. This pardon is a continuation of policy, not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Crypto white-collar criminals are still waiting

Packaging lawbreakers as "victims persecuted by the Biden administration"—this script is not unfamiliar to readers of Dynamic Zone. Just the day before the pardon order was issued, news broke that Trump planned to "pardon 250 criminals" in one go for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The list reportedly includes major criminals like SBF (Sam Bankman-Fried). Lobbying fees to get on this ride were reportedly as high as $2 million, but the proposal is still stuck at the staff level, far from Trump's desk.

SBF formally submitted a pardon application earlier this year, but Trump has already made clear in recent interviews that he has no intention of pardoning him, and the White House has reiterated this stance. Meanwhile, SBF's pardon case has also faced joint opposition from bipartisan senators introducing legislation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a "defeat device"?

A type of software or hardware used to bypass a vehicle's original emission monitoring and purification systems, commonly found in diesel pickup modifications, allowing the engine to directly emit black smoke, colloquially known as "rolling coal," in violation of the U.S. Clean Air Act.

Is there any hope for SBF's pardon?

Currently, no. Trump has already stated clearly in interviews that he has no plans to pardon SBF, and the White House has reiterated this position. SBF's pardon application has also faced joint opposition from bipartisan senators introducing legislation, completely disproportionate to the speed of the car modification group's pardon.