President Donald Trump pardoned former Summit County resident and convicted businessman Trevor Milton on Friday.The Nikola Corporation founder posted on social media platform X Thursday that he had received a pardon from the president, adding Trump called personally to deliver the news.“This pardo n 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,” Milton wrote. “It is no wonder why trust and confidence in the Justice Department has eroded to nothing…I saw firsthand the tactics they use to guarantee convictions. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for his courage in standing up for what is right and for granting me this sacred pardon of innocence.”The Associated Press verified the pardon with White House officials Friday morning, but no notice of the pardon is available online.Milton has maintained his innocence throughout the federal fraud case, claiming the government erred in issuing an indictment. Despite his four-year prison sentence, he also remained unincarcerated as he attempted to appeal his conviction.In 2015 he founded Nikola Corporation, a manufacturer of electric- and hydrogen-powered vehicles. He resigned from his position as executive chairman in 2020 after Hindenburg Research, an investment firm focused on financial activism, published a report claiming Milton engaged in fraud.A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Milton the following year, accusing him of securities and wire fraud. Milton was convicted in October 2022 and sentenced to four years in prison. He was also forced to forfeit a 4,678-acre ranch in Morgan County and ordered to pay a $1 million fine.Throughout the case, prosecutors alleged Milton induced non-professional investors to buy shares of the corporation by making false and misleading statements about Nikola’s product and technology development directly to the public through social media and in interviews. They said retail investors lost more than $660 million.Nikola Corporation continued its operations under new leadership, but the company declared bankruptcy in federal court earlier this year. The business’s stock declined dramatically after Milton’s indictment, dropping from $1,977 per share in June 2022 to 18 cents shortly after the bankruptcy filing.As of Monday afternoon, shares were valued at 17 cents each.Milton and his wife donated $1.8 million to Trump’s reelection campaign last year, and the Associated Press reported that the president suggested at a press conference last week that Milton was prosecuted for his political and financial support.When asked by a reporter why he pardoned Milton, the Associated Press reported the president responded that it was “highly recommended by many people.”Milton was locally infamous in Summit County for commuting from his home via helicopter.The post Trump pardons convicted former Summit County resident Trevor Milton appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less