Trump Pardons Founder of Bankrupt EV Firm Nikola

President Trump has issued another high-profile pardon: that of Trevor Milton, the founder of the bankrupt electric vehicle company Nikola. The 42-year-old Milton had been sentenced to four years in prison—though he was out pending appeal—after being convicted of fraud, reports the Wall Street Journal. Prosecutors say he defrauded investors by lying repeatedly about the achievements of his company. In one of the more notable allegations, they say he made a video claiming to show a prototype truck driving on a desert highway when in reality it had been rolled down a hill, per the AP.

"Today I was issued a full and unconditional pardon by Donald Trump himself," Milton wrote on social media, per Reuters. "He called me personally to tell me." The New York Times reports that one aspect of the pardon won't make many Nikola shareholders happy: He is no longer on the hook to repay tens of millions of dollars to those who lost money. He may, however, still face civil charges. Trump himself had not commented on the pardon as of Friday afternoon. The stories note that Milton donated $1.8 million to a Trump re-election campaign fund just ahead of the November election.

(More Nikola stories.)