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President Donald Trump announced the pardon of two Alaska diesel mechanics at a midterm rally Tuesday night in Wasilla, bringing the men on stage to sign pardon documents as he highlighted major energy investments and infrastructure projects in the Last Frontier.
Trump identified Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming, two co-owners of a diesel repair shop in Anchorage who pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act in 2022.
“I am granting all three an unconditional pardon,” Trump told supporters, also referencing an earlier pardon granted to Mackenzie “Mac” Spurlock, a diesel store owner in Wasilla.
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President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla, Alaska, on Tuesday. (AFP via Getty Images)
The president defended the men, saying their work helped keep the trucks operating in Alaska’s extreme cold and arguing that the Biden-era lawsuits were unfair.
According to the Biden Justice Department, Czubak and Fleming were among three co-owners of “Arm Rippin Toys” who admitted to removing federally required emissions control equipment and tampering with monitoring devices on at least 37 diesel vehicles between July 2019 and September 2020.
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Supporters listen to President Donald Trump speak during a campaign rally at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center Tuesday in Wasilla, Alaska. (AFP via Getty Images)
The store collected about $100,000 for the modifications, federal prosecutors said at the time.
In signing the pardon documents, Trump attacked former President Joe Biden’s use of an automatic pardon.
“So I’m going to sign this now, which Joe Biden couldn’t do because he couldn’t sign his signature,” Trump said.
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President Donald Trump greets supporters as he arrives to speak at a campaign rally ahead of next month’s midterm elections at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center Tuesday in Wasilla, Alaska. (AFP via Getty Images)
He also candidly shared with the crowd the privilege of the presidential pardon power.
“What an honor. I love doing this stuff,” Trump said.
One of the men thanked the president from the stage, describing the personal impact of the accusation.
“It really destroyed us. It destroyed friendships. It destroyed families,” he said.
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The pardons were issued at a rally where Trump made a series of major announcements about Alaska’s energy future, including declaring that a long-awaited 800-mile natural gas pipeline had obtained all necessary federal permits.
“All the permits you need, you can start tonight,” Trump told the crowd. “All the permits you need have been granted.”
Fox News Digital has contacted the White House for additional details on the project’s federal authorization status.
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