Trevor Milton, the former CEO of Nikola Corporation, who was charged with securities fraud and conspiracy by the U.S. This major decision thrust him into the eye of a raging political storm. At Nikola, Milton led the efforts to create electric and hydrogen-powered big rigs. In July 2022, he was accused of making false and misleading statements concerning the company. These allegations resulted in felony charges of defrauding the public received via popular social media and podcast interviews.
Since the announcement of Milton’s pardon by Trump, advocacy for and against has gained nationwide attention and criticism. In his announcement, Trump said he reached his determination after concluding that Milton had been persecuted for furthering his political goals. This claim merely added fuel to the fire of an already incendiary political discussion.
Milton’s pardon has been, to some extent, front page news—many see it an instance of “woke” excess and progressives have puzzled at the potential strategic reasoning behind it. Confusion over the state’s still-unannounced decision has led to rampant speculation. The conventional wisdom here is that it was to give Milton a huge compensation package for loyalty shown to Trump. This interpretation has not been widely borne out, as grassroots support for the pardon seems hard to find.
The controversy surrounding Milton is not new. His short time at Nikola was rife with controversies and allegations of fraud. Yet all this has now been overtaken by his impending presidential pardon. Observers suggest that the pardon may have been a strategic move by Trump to bolster his image and solidify support among his base.
“This is a bolder assertion than what the Executive Branch normally takes,” – Mark Zaid
Even with these speculative conversations, the reasons for Milton’s pardon are still unclear. Others see it as Trump continuing to reward his most loyal supporters. Some believe he’s attempting to shield Milton from further legal investigation, a sentiment that Zaid has previously noted, that privilege can be used as a sword and a shield.
