The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Friday that he has granted pardons to six people who, he maintains, were unjustly persecuted for violating air quality and emissions regulations during the term of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
"It is a great honor for me to have signed pardons moments ago for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration and who were in prison, or about to be sent to it, for 'fixing their car'," he reported on his social media.
The current occupant of the White House admitted that "this sounds ridiculous" but emphasized that "it is still a fact and part of the instrumentalization and stupidity that (his) country had to endure during the four long years of 'Sleepy Joe' Biden." "I am freeing them all, right now!" he exclaimed.
For now, neither the president nor federal authorities have revealed the identity of the six people benefiting from this act of clemency.
Sentences for manipulating anti-pollution systems
White House sources cited by the television channel CNN have specified that the pardoned individuals had been sentenced for violating the Clean Air Act, a federal law aimed at reducing emissions and improving air quality, by altering devices for controlling atmospheric pollution installed in vehicles.
According to the same sources, the decision was made after a meeting between Trump and senior officials of his Administration in which a new batch of possible pardons was reviewed.
Earlier this year, the Department of Justice ordered federal prosecutors to close investigations and drop ongoing proceedings related to devices used to manipulate and bypass emissions controls.