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CNN
17-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Trump's pardons could have erased more than $1.3 billion in fines and restitution, Democrats say
House Democratic lawmakers released a report Tuesday alleging that President Donald Trump's federal pardons and clemency grants could wipe away more than $1.3 billion in payments to victims and the federal government. Trump's pardons have provoked ire of critics who accuse the president of using the Oval Office to benefit his supporters' political allies. Those critics, including Democratic members of Congress, say the pardons and grants of clemency wipe out payments made to victims or taxpayers. The report, which House Judiciary Committee Democrats say is based on the cases of nearly 1,600 people, is based on publicly available court documents and the Office of the Pardon Attorney's website. But it's not clear exactly how much, if any, of the $1.3 billion Democrats say was or could be owed by defendants could be collected before the pardons were issued. And some defendants continue to fight the issue in court. Generally in court, once restitution and fines have been paid by a defendant, it's not easy for them to claw back that money, even after receiving a presidential pardon. There have been loopholes, however, that are benefiting some Trump pardon recipients, such as if a defendant was appealing their case at the time of the pardon, or if they were still negotiating financial terms of a settlement, according to court records. One criminal defendant, electric vehicle startup founder Trevor Milton, skirted having to pay because his restitution amount was being negotiated when he received a pardon from Trump in March, according to court records. Judge Edgardo Ramos had ordered Milton pay restitution, because his victims in an investment scheme had lost hundreds of millions of dollars, his sentencing records say. Milton's attorneys told the judge overseeing his case that Trump's pardon covered 'financial aspects of the conviction,' and said the court should even reimburse him a $300 fee he paid. The Democrats' report said the Justice Department didn't provide it with information on how much of $1.3 billion was ever collected. 'The summer interns working for House Democrats must be busy writing and printing pointless letters that aren't worth the paper they're written on,' said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. 'President Trump is righting the wrongs of political prosecutions and providing justice after careful consideration of thoroughly vetted cases presented to him.' Some of the criticism of Trump's pardons has focused on defendants charged in relation to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack, nearly all of whom were pardoned. The report claims that their pardons wiped out a total of at least $3 million in restitution for beating police officers and ransacking the Capitol. Federal prosecutors said in court this spring that the DOJ does not intend to return already paid restitution and fine costs following a pardon, especially among January 6 defendants. But some newly pardoned criminal defendants have ongoing legal battles that may give them a reprieve on fines and restitution now. The department has said in court filings, however, that judges' restitution orders and the payments defendants make on them are final, once a conviction has been finalized, and cannot be recouped by a convicted defendant without intervention from Congress or higher courts. That means many January 6 defendants will not get back the $2,000 or more they already paid as restitution to the US Treasury to compensate for damage to the US Capitol building. It would take an act of Congress to return that money to many of the January 6 defendants, court records from the Justice Department also say. There is a small number of cases in which January 6 defendants' may be excused from court-ordered restitution and fines. In the federal court in Washington, DC, where the January 6 defendant's cases were handled, a handful of Capitol rioters pardoned by Trump are asking judges to order that they should get their restitution payments back. The Justice Department has supported these requests in court if the defendant had a pending appeal, yet the judges largely haven't made decisions. The ultimate decider will be the courts, according to documents in the cases of some January 6 rioters. In one case, of the January 6 defendant John Earle Sullivan, a federal judge last month blocked him from recouping $62,800 he forfeited to the US government because he had earned it by selling footage of the riot.
CNN
17-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Trump's pardons could have erased more than $1.3 billion in fines and restitution, Democrats say
House Democratic lawmakers released a report Tuesday alleging that President Donald Trump's federal pardons and clemency grants could wipe away more than $1.3 billion in payments to victims and the federal government. Trump's pardons have provoked ire of critics who accuse the president of using the Oval Office to benefit his supporters' political allies. Those critics, including Democratic members of Congress, say the pardons and grants of clemency wipe out payments made to victims or taxpayers. The report, which House Judiciary Committee Democrats say is based on the cases of nearly 1,600 people, is based on publicly available court documents and the Office of the Pardon Attorney's website. But it's not clear exactly how much, if any, of the $1.3 billion Democrats say was or could be owed by defendants could be collected before the pardons were issued. And some defendants continue to fight the issue in court. Generally in court, once restitution and fines have been paid by a defendant, it's not easy for them to claw back that money, even after receiving a presidential pardon. There have been loopholes, however, that are benefiting some Trump pardon recipients, such as if a defendant was appealing their case at the time of the pardon, or if they were still negotiating financial terms of a settlement, according to court records. One criminal defendant, electric vehicle startup founder Trevor Milton, skirted having to pay because his restitution amount was being negotiated when he received a pardon from Trump in March, according to court records. Judge Edgardo Ramos had ordered Milton pay restitution, because his victims in an investment scheme had lost hundreds of millions of dollars, his sentencing records say. Milton's attorneys told the judge overseeing his case that Trump's pardon covered 'financial aspects of the conviction,' and said the court should even reimburse him a $300 fee he paid. The Democrats' report said the Justice Department didn't provide it with information on how much of $1.3 billion was ever collected. 'The summer interns working for House Democrats must be busy writing and printing pointless letters that aren't worth the paper they're written on,' said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. 'President Trump is righting the wrongs of political prosecutions and providing justice after careful consideration of thoroughly vetted cases presented to him.' Some of the criticism of Trump's pardons has focused on defendants charged in relation to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack, nearly all of whom were pardoned. The report claims that their pardons wiped out a total of at least $3 million in restitution for beating police officers and ransacking the Capitol. Federal prosecutors said in court this spring that the DOJ does not intend to return already paid restitution and fine costs following a pardon, especially among January 6 defendants. But some newly pardoned criminal defendants have ongoing legal battles that may give them a reprieve on fines and restitution now. The department has said in court filings, however, that judges' restitution orders and the payments defendants make on them are final, once a conviction has been finalized, and cannot be recouped by a convicted defendant without intervention from Congress or higher courts. That means many January 6 defendants will not get back the $2,000 or more they already paid as restitution to the US Treasury to compensate for damage to the US Capitol building. It would take an act of Congress to return that money to many of the January 6 defendants, court records from the Justice Department also say. There is a small number of cases in which January 6 defendants' may be excused from court-ordered restitution and fines. In the federal court in Washington, DC, where the January 6 defendant's cases were handled, a handful of Capitol rioters pardoned by Trump are asking judges to order that they should get their restitution payments back. The Justice Department has supported these requests in court if the defendant had a pending appeal, yet the judges largely haven't made decisions. The ultimate decider will be the courts, according to documents in the cases of some January 6 rioters. In one case, of the January 6 defendant John Earle Sullivan, a federal judge last month blocked him from recouping $62,800 he forfeited to the US government because he had earned it by selling footage of the riot.
CNN
17-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Trump's pardons could have erased more than $1.3 billion in fines and restitution, Democrats say
House Democratic lawmakers released a report Tuesday alleging that President Donald Trump's federal pardons and clemency grants could wipe away more than $1.3 billion in payments to victims and the federal government. Trump's pardons have provoked ire of critics who accuse the president of using the Oval Office to benefit his supporters' political allies. Those critics, including Democratic members of Congress, say the pardons and grants of clemency wipe out payments made to victims or taxpayers. The report, which House Judiciary Committee Democrats say is based on the cases of nearly 1,600 people, is based on publicly available court documents and the Office of the Pardon Attorney's website. But it's not clear exactly how much, if any, of the $1.3 billion Democrats say was or could be owed by defendants could be collected before the pardons were issued. And some defendants continue to fight the issue in court. Generally in court, once restitution and fines have been paid by a defendant, it's not easy for them to claw back that money, even after receiving a presidential pardon. There have been loopholes, however, that are benefiting some Trump pardon recipients, such as if a defendant was appealing their case at the time of the pardon, or if they were still negotiating financial terms of a settlement, according to court records. One criminal defendant, electric vehicle startup founder Trevor Milton, skirted having to pay because his restitution amount was being negotiated when he received a pardon from Trump in March, according to court records. Judge Edgardo Ramos had ordered Milton pay restitution, because his victims in an investment scheme had lost hundreds of millions of dollars, his sentencing records say. Milton's attorneys told the judge overseeing his case that Trump's pardon covered 'financial aspects of the conviction,' and said the court should even reimburse him a $300 fee he paid. The Democrats' report said the Justice Department didn't provide it with information on how much of $1.3 billion was ever collected. 'The summer interns working for House Democrats must be busy writing and printing pointless letters that aren't worth the paper they're written on,' said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. 'President Trump is righting the wrongs of political prosecutions and providing justice after careful consideration of thoroughly vetted cases presented to him.' Some of the criticism of Trump's pardons has focused on defendants charged in relation to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack, nearly all of whom were pardoned. The report claims that their pardons wiped out a total of at least $3 million in restitution for beating police officers and ransacking the Capitol. Federal prosecutors said in court this spring that the DOJ does not intend to return already paid restitution and fine costs following a pardon, especially among January 6 defendants. But some newly pardoned criminal defendants have ongoing legal battles that may give them a reprieve on fines and restitution now. The department has said in court filings, however, that judges' restitution orders and the payments defendants make on them are final, once a conviction has been finalized, and cannot be recouped by a convicted defendant without intervention from Congress or higher courts. That means many January 6 defendants will not get back the $2,000 or more they already paid as restitution to the US Treasury to compensate for damage to the US Capitol building. It would take an act of Congress to return that money to many of the January 6 defendants, court records from the Justice Department also say. There is a small number of cases in which January 6 defendants' may be excused from court-ordered restitution and fines. In the federal court in Washington, DC, where the January 6 defendant's cases were handled, a handful of Capitol rioters pardoned by Trump are asking judges to order that they should get their restitution payments back. The Justice Department has supported these requests in court if the defendant had a pending appeal, yet the judges largely haven't made decisions. The ultimate decider will be the courts, according to documents in the cases of some January 6 rioters. In one case, of the January 6 defendant John Earle Sullivan, a federal judge last month blocked him from recouping $62,800 he forfeited to the US government because he had earned it by selling footage of the riot.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Nikola Founder Trevor Milton releases new documentary
The rise and fall of Trevor Milton, founder and former executive chairman of battery electric truck maker Nikola, was a story that took the trucking industry by storm. A bombshell report in 2020 by Hindenburg Research launched accusations of fraud, saying Milton lied about the capabilities of Nikola's product, alleging nepotism, and more. Ultimately, this led to investigations into Milton and Nikola, an ousting of him as CEO, and a 2023 conviction that slapped him with a sentence of four years in federal prison. At the start of this year, President Trump pardoned Milton and now he is setting the record straight of his own volition. Milton and his team have released a documentary, 'Conviction or Conspiracy – The Trevor Milton Saga', streaming free and open access on YouTube. In a press release, Milton said, 'For years, I've been silent—forced to sit back while the media, opportunists, and corporations ran wild with their version of my story. Today, that silence ends. I want people to watch the film, think for themselves, and finally get the full picture.' 'This isn't just my story—it's a warning about how quickly our system can be weaponized,' Milton added. 'This film gives people the context and evidence that was left out of the headlines. I'm proud it's finally out.' The film hit YouTube to ensure 'unrestricted global access.' Find it here: The post Nikola Founder Trevor Milton releases new documentary appeared first on FreightWaves.
TechCrunch
06-06-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Nikola founder Trevor Milton is fighting a subpoena from his bankrupt company's creditors
The recently-pardoned founder of Nikola, Trevor Milton, has been fighting a subpoena from the creditors of his bankrupt electric trucking company. The official committee of unsecured creditors in the bankruptcy case sent the subpoena to Milton's lawyers on April 1, according to a recent filing. Milton owed Nikola nearly $100 million before it filed for bankruptcy in February, which followed an arbitration case with the company in 2023 related to his criminal conviction that he lost. The committee says Milton still hasn't paid, and is trying to use the subpoena to determine the current state of his financial affairs. Before it went bankrupt, Nikola sued Milton in federal court in Arizona, and accused him of 'fraudulently transferring away tens of millions of dollars of his assets in order to hinder, delay, and defraud [Nikola] in [its] attempts to collect upon the Arbitration Award,' according to the committee. Milton has spent the last two months fighting the subpoena, according to the filing. The company's lawyers have told the judge they believe the material sought by the creditors is subject to a protective order in the Arizona case. The fight over the subpoena will likely come to a head during a hearing scheduled for June 9. Lawyers representing the creditors' committee and Milton did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW Most of Nikola's assets have already been sold off in the bankruptcy process. Lucid Motors purchased the leases on Nikola's Arizona factory and headquarters, and hired around 300 of its employees. An auction company bought Nikola's remaining fleet of hydrogen-powered trucks. That has left the arbitration award as one of the largest, and crucial, remaining assets in Nikola's estate. Prior to filing for bankruptcy, Nikola was hit with a class action shareholder lawsuit related to the misleading claims it made during the process of becoming a public company. While Nikola settled a case with the Securities and Exchange Commission over those claims, the shareholder lawsuit was still ongoing when the company tipped into bankruptcy. The plan from the outset of the bankruptcy was to use Milton's arbitration award to settle the shareholder lawsuit. But Milton 'has yet to pay a cent,' the creditor committee said in the filing. Along the way, Milton, who was appealing his four-year prison sentence, was granted a surprise pardon by President Trump. Just a few weeks later, Nikola's lawyers accused Milton of trying to derail the bankruptcy case. Meanwhile, Milton has commissioned a documentary that is set to premiere on June 10, which he promises will tell the 'true story about how the so called 'justice system' nearly destroyed an innocent man.'
