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★ Private Action

Convicted Nikola founder Milton donates to Trump while facing prison

MAGA Inc. Pay-to-PlayTrump 2024 Outside Spending

Filed October 2024

★ The Brief

What happened

Milton and his wife gave more than $3 million across Trump and Kennedy committees in September and October 2024, while Milton was free on appeal of a four-year sentence for securities and wire fraud.

Who enabled it

Who benefits

Deal or steal?

Five months later, Trump granted Milton a full pardon, wiping the four-year sentence and $676 million in restitution. On the pardon call, Trump told Milton that Kennedy, now HHS Secretary, had said "great things" about him.

Between September and October 2024, Trevor Milton and his wife made substantial donations to political committees aligned with Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Milton had been convicted of federal securities and wire fraud in October 2022 over misrepresentations about his hydrogen-truck company Nikola Corporation, sentenced in December 2023 to four years in prison, and was free on appeal. Federal prosecutors were seeking roughly $676 million in restitution. Five months later, Trump granted Milton a full pardon.

Actors

Who pushed it · 1

Who initiated, paid, or pushed the action.

  • Trevor Milton

    Made the donations jointly with his wife while under a federal fraud conviction, free on appeal, facing a four-year prison term and roughly $676 million in restitution. Received a full presidential pardon from Trump five months after the October 2024 donation batch. Has publicly said the donations were not connected to the pardon.

    Trevor Milton has paid into Trump’s orbit:

Beneficiaries

Who gained · 4

Who stood to gain.

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
    Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

    Indirect beneficiary of roughly $1.4 million in total donations from Milton and his wife to "organizations and PACs raising funds for Kennedy" (per WSJ), including the $750,000 MAHA Alliance contribution. Per WSJ, Trump told Milton on the pardon call that "Bobby said great things about him." Now serves as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration.

  • Make America Healthy Again Alliance
    Make America Healthy Again Alliance

    Super PAC that was the principal outside-money vehicle backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign. Received $750,000 from Milton on September 18, 2024, after Kennedy had dropped out and endorsed Trump.

  • Republican National Committee

    Received $284,500 from Milton in three tranches on October 10, 2024 ($123,900 + $119,300 + $41,300). Milton separately contributed $10,000 each to the Republican parties of 44 states on the same day, totaling $440,000 in state-party giving (not itemized as separate organizations on this site).

  • Trump 47 Committee

    Trump 2024 joint fundraising committee; received more than $1.8 million from Milton and his wife, including a single $920,000 contribution on October 10, 2024.

Sources

Further reading