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Trump Pardons Violators of the Clean Air Act and a Major Donor
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- President Trump issued pardons to 11 men, most convicted of crimes related to violations of the Clean Air Act, an important environmental law aimed at reducing pollution.
- Among those pardoned was Adam Kidan, a major Republican donor who served prison time for a fraud scheme involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
- The pardons primarily benefited individuals involved in installing defeat devices on diesel trucks that bypassed emissions controls, increasing pollution.
- The Trump administration has framed enforcement of the Clean Air Act as burdensome to business and commerce, with Trump claiming the pardoned individuals were unfairly targeted by the Biden administration.
- Trump minimized the severity of the offenses in a social media post, portraying the Clean Air Act as a political weapon used by previous administrations.
