Trump Pardons Trail Runner in Push to Curb Regulatory Overreach

The president’s pardon of the Grant Teton trail runner aligns with a May executive order against ‘overcriminalization’ of minor, regulatory offenses.
Trump Pardons Trail Runner in Push to Curb Regulatory Overreach
Michelino Sunseri stands outside a courthouse in Jackson, Wyo., in May 2025. Bradly J. Boner/Jackson Hole News Guide via AP
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
|Updated:
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President Donald Trump has pardoned Michelino Sunseri, a record-setting mountain runner prosecuted for briefly stepping off a designated trail while setting a speed record on Wyoming’s Grand Teton. The case drew national attention to what legal experts describe as the overcriminalization of minor regulatory offenses.

In confirming that Trump signed the pardon, a White House official told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that Sunseri’s case is a “prime example of excessive prosecution” and an example of regulatory overreach that burdens everyday Americans.

Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
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