Trump pardons 2 auto workers on stage during rally in Alaska
President Trump granted onstage pardons to two Alaska auto shop owners who pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act during a rally Tuesday — an unusually public use of the president's clemency power.
Key points
- President Trump granted onstage pardons to two Alaska auto shop owners who pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act.
- Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming were sentenced to five years of probation, $66,000 in fines and community service.
- A third co-owner, Michael Hanzuk, received a pardon last month.
President Trump granted pardons on stage late Tuesday to two Alaska auto shop owners who had pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act. The pardons were given during a political rally in Wasilla, an unusually public use of presidential clemency.
The two men, Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming, owned an auto shop called Arm Rippin Toys that specialized in diesel vehicles, according to court records. Trump said they were wrongly charged and described the case as an example of the Biden-era Justice Department attacking the Alaskan way of life.
What the charges involved
Federal prosecutors said Czubak, Fleming and a third co-owner, Michael Hanzuk, offered to remove emission control systems from customers' vehicles for fees of $1,140 to $5,445. Prosecutors said the work modified physical components and prevented diagnostics systems from noticing problems, causing vehicles to emit more pollutants.
All three men pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act. Each received five years of probation, $66,000 in fines and community service.
We're not criminals. We're not trying to hurt anybody.
— Patrick Fleming
Reaction and related pardons
Trump called Czubak and Fleming to the stage, told an aide to bring the pardons, signed them at the podium and handed them over as the crowd cheered. He said he was also taking care of a third person, without naming them; Hanzuk received a pardon last month.
Fleming told the crowd the charges really did destroy the three men. He said they were not criminals and wanted to help people with diesel trucks and vehicles in Alaska and worldwide. CBS News has reached out to Czubak, Fleming and Hanzuk's attorneys for comment.
Earlier this year, Trump pardoned Mac Spurlock, another diesel mechanic charged with violating the Clean Air Act by removing pollution control systems. Spurlock and supporters, including GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, argued the modifications were needed because Alaska's cold weather can cause emissions systems to malfunction. The Justice Department announced in January it would no longer pursue criminal charges under the Clean Air Act based on tampering with onboard diagnostic devices.
