US President Donald Trump on Friday issued pardons for a total of 11 people, including nine individuals convicted of violating the Clean Air Act by circumventing emission controls on vehicles. The White House provided a list of 11 pardons, with nine facing charges over disabling emissions monitoring systems or selling devices that bypass emissions systems.

Among those pardoned was Adam Kidan, a former business partner of disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Kidan was jailed in 2006 with Abramoff for wire fraud and conspiracy related to the purchase of a fleet of gambling boats in 2005. He was released from prison in 2009.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump spoke of granting clemency to six of the men without revealing their identities, claiming they were "persecuted" under the Biden administration for "fixing their car." On Monday, Trump signed a memo telling the Environmental Protection Agency that US citizens can fix their vehicles as they see fit.

In February, the Trump administration eliminated federal tailpipe emissions standards for cars and trucks, reversing a key scientific finding from the Obama era that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health. The president made reference to a diesel mechanic he pardoned last year who had disabled emissions monitoring systems as he signed the memo.

Kidan, now president of Empire Workforce Solutions, was among those hosting a fundraiser at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort for a Long Island Republican congressional candidate in March, according to Newsday.

Source: www.dw.com