President Trump pardoned two Alaska diesel mechanics from the stage of his Wasilla rally, ending the penalties from their Biden-era Clean Air Act case.
Story Highlights
- Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming, co-owners of Arm Rippin Toys, an Anchorage diesel repair shop, pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act.
- Prosecutors said the shop stripped pollution-control equipment from at least 37 diesel vehicles.
- Each man was sentenced to five years of probation, $66,000 in fines and community service.
- Trump signed the pardons at the podium in Wasilla, Alaska, on Tuesday night, October 13.
Pardons Signed at the Podium
Trump said he pardoned the men because they were “wrongly charged” and because the Biden-era Justice Department “viciously targeted the Alaskan way of life.” A pardon is a president’s power to forgive a federal crime and end its penalties. Trump told the crowd the men’s work helped keep trucks running in Alaska’s extreme cold.
He called the two men onstage at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center during a rally ahead of the midterm elections. “Bring me the pardons!” he told an aide. “They want to put them in jail for 10 years because they fixed an engine. How sick?” he said. “What an honor. I love doing this stuff,” he added.
What the Men Were Charged With
The Clean Air Act is the federal law that limits pollution from cars, trucks and factories. Prosecutors said Czubak, Fleming and a third co-owner removed federally required emissions-control equipment, the parts that cut exhaust pollution, from at least 37 diesel vehicles between July 2019 and September 2020. They also said the shop tampered with the onboard computers that check whether that equipment is working.
According to prosecutors, the shop charged between $1,140 and $5,445 per job and collected about $100,000 in all. All three owners pleaded guilty in 2022. None was sent to prison. The third co-owner, Michael Hanzuk, received a pardon in September, according to reports.
A Change in Washington’s Approach
In January, the Justice Department announced it would “no longer pursue criminal charges under the Clean Air Act based on allegations of tampering with onboard diagnostic devices.” That change came years after these men had already pleaded guilty. Trump also pointed to his earlier pardon for Mackenzie “Mac” Spurlock, another diesel shop owner from Wasilla.
Energy on the Rally Agenda
The pardons came during a rally where Trump promoted Alaska energy projects. He said an 800-mile natural gas pipeline had received every federal permit it needs. “Every single permit that you need has been granted,” he told the crowd.
What It Means
For the two mechanics, the pardons end the federal penalties that followed their guilty pleas. A pardon does not erase the record that the conduct took place, but it lifts the punishment. For working Alaskans who keep trucks running in brutal winters, the president’s message from the stage was that small shops should not face criminal cases over engine work.
Sources:
redstate.com, us.headtopics.com, h.aa.com.tr, justice.gov, usatoday.com, adn.com, thehill.com, yahoo.com
