Trump Pardons Alaska Mechanics at Rally, Touts Energy Deals

President Donald Trump announced pardons for two Alaska diesel mechanics, Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming, during a rally Tuesday night in Wasilla. Trump brought the men onstage to sign clemency documents as he touted major energy investments and infrastructure projects in Alaska.

Czubak and Fleming, co-owners of an Anchorage diesel repair shop, had pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act. Trump stated he was granting them unconditional pardons, also referencing an earlier pardon for a third owner, Mackenzie "Mac" Spurlock.

Trump defended the mechanics, asserting their work kept trucks operational in Alaska's harsh climate and characterizing their prosecutions under the Biden administration as unjust. According to the Justice Department, the three owners 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. The shop reportedly collected approximately $100,000 for these modifications.

During the event, Trump signed the clemency documents, remarking on the presidential pardon power and contrasting it with former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen. "What an honor. I love doing this stuff," Trump told the crowd.

One of the pardoned men expressed gratitude from the stage, describing the prosecution's significant personal toll, stating it "really did destroy us. It destroyed friendships. It destroyed families."

The pardons were announced amid a rally where Trump also declared that a natural gas pipeline project had secured all necessary federal permits. "Every single permit that you need, you can start tonight," Trump told attendees, adding that "every single permit that you need has been granted."