Trump pardons Wasilla diesel mechanic; Real Dan Sullivan calls it ‘righting a grave injustice’

By SUZANNE DOWNING

July 5, 2026 – A Wasilla diesel mechanic whose business became the target of a heavily armed federal raid under the Biden administration has received a full presidential pardon from President Donald Trump, ending a years-long legal battle that Alaska officials have argued should never have happened.

US Sen. Dan Sullivan announced Friday that President Donald Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to Mackenzie “Mac” Spurlock, owner of Matanuska Diesel LLC in Wasilla. Sullivan said Trump personally called him Friday morning, on the eve of Independence Day, to inform him that the pardon had been issued. Ten others received pardons for fixing their cars.

Today, I received a phone call from the President, who told me that he had issued an unconditional pardon for an Alaskan who was unjustly stripped of his rights because of dangerous and ridiculous EPA regulations and overzealous prosecutors. On the eve of America’s 250th… pic.twitter.com/y9uNqjPfQp

— Sen. Dan Sullivan (@SenDanSullivan) July 4, 2026

Watch Sen. Dan Sullivan on Facebook announce the pardon here.

Spurlock, a veteran who served six years in the Alaska Air National Guard as an aerospace propulsion technician, was convicted after federal prosecutors accused him of modifying diesel emissions-control systems on trucks and heavy equipment. The modifications were intended to prevent vehicles from shutting down during Alaska’s extreme winter conditions. Sullivan has been sounding the alarm on EPA regulations that have created life-threatening conditions for Alaskans.

Sullivan and Begich team up to keep Alaska’s diesel engines running in extreme cold

Approximately 30 armed Environmental Protection Agency agents and personnel from other federal agencies raided Spurlock’s Wasilla business in June 2022. Many of the federal personnel were reportedly flown in from California, Washington, and Oregon.

Sullivan has repeatedly criticized the prosecution, arguing it exemplified the federal government’s one-size-fits-all approach to environmental regulation without accounting for Alaska’s unique climate.

“Four years ago, about 30 armed EPA agents conducted a military-style tactical raid of Matanuska Diesel,” Sullivan said in announcing the pardon. “Mac’s supposed crime? His shop had assisted trucking businesses by modifying several diesel emissions-control systems mandated by a one-size-fits-all Obama-era emissions regulation, ensuring the vehicles wouldn’t shut down in Alaska’s harsh, subzero conditions.”

Sullivan said the conviction carried significant personal consequences for Spurlock. In addition to being fined $32,000, he became a convicted felon, faced travel restrictions, lost his right to own firearms, and was prevented from reenlisting in the Alaska Air National Guard.

“Mac just wanted to help business owners keep Alaskans safe on the highways in the winter,” Sullivan said. “Instead, Mac became a felon… This morning, on the eve of the Fourth of July, President Trump called me to let me know he had issued a full and unconditional pardon, granting Mac his freedom back and righting a grave injustice.”

The case has become a rallying point for critics of federal diesel emissions regulations, particularly in northern states where prolonged subzero temperatures can interfere with diesel emissions systems.

Under the EPA regulations, heavy-duty diesel vehicles are fitted with emissions-control systems that can automatically reduce engine power or shut down engines when faults are detected. Those systems can malfunction in extreme cold, particularly when diesel exhaust fluid and related emissions components cannot maintain their required operating temperatures.

Sullivan said he has heard from truckers, heavy equipment operators, and small business owners across Alaska that the regulations create  dangerous situations, including reports of trucks shutting down during winter storms on remote highways.

One example frequently cited by the senator involved a truck losing power during a blizzard on the Dalton Highway, the desolate 400-mile road connecting Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay.

Sullivan has made changing the regulations a legislative priority. Last November, Sullivan and Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming introduced the Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act, (S. 3135), legislation that would require the EPA to revise its diesel emissions regulations to account for operation in cold-weather states. The bill would also create year-round exemptions from diesel exhaust fluid system requirements for vehicles and equipment operating primarily in cold climates.

Congressman Nick Begich has introduced companion legislation in the House to hasten along the needed fixes, A hearing on his bill took place June 3 in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s subcommittee on environment.

Earlier this year, Sullivan used a hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to press the issue and advocate for the legislation. He also said he has worked with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to pursue regulatory changes while continuing efforts in Congress to permanently fix the problem.

Friday’s pardon removes Spurlock’s federal conviction and restores the civil rights he lost as a result of the prosecution, bringing to a close one of Alaska’s most closely watched environmental enforcement cases.