Trump Issues Pardon To Athlete Convicted After Record-Breaking Run
President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to Michelino Sunseri, an endurance athlete who was convicted last year for descending the Grand Teton via a โrestrictedโ trail during a record-breaking run. Sunseriโs case had become a flashpoint in the debate over federal overreach and the growing tendency of unelected bureaucrats to criminalize harmless behavior.
Sunseri reacted to the news with relief on Monday, writing on Facebook:
โITโS FINALLY OVER. The trail trial of the century is officially over. In a twist even Hollywood couldnโt write, I woke up this morning to find out Iโve been given a PRESIDENTIAL PARDON from Donald J. Trump โ over the Grand Teton FKT and my use of the Old Climberโs Trail.โ
A Record Run Turned Legal Battle
In September 2024, Sunseri ascended and descended the 13,775-foot Grand Teton in an astonishing 2 hours and 50 minutes, setting a new fastest-known time. But instead of celebrating the athletic achievement, federal authorities charged him days later for taking a โprohibitedโ routeโthe Old Climberโs Trailโduring his descent.
Although the trail has long been used by climbers and is not inherently unsafe, the National Park Service classified it as โrestricted,โ and Sunseri was prosecuted under rules that critics say lack proper legal grounding.
A Case of Bureaucratic Overreach?
The Pacific Legal Foundation, which took up Sunseriโs defense, argued that the federal government had overstepped its authority. According to PLF, the regulations used to charge Sunseri were created by low-level park staffโnot by Congress or any properly authorized rulemaking process.
โWe are thrilled that Michelinoโs nightmare is over,โ said PLF attorney Michael Poon. โBut weโre not done fighting unconstitutional regulations that let unelected officials criminalize harmless conduct. We stand ready to help other Americans facing similar prosecutions.โ
This themeโfederal agencies creating de facto laws without accountabilityโhas become a major concern among conservatives, especially as executive-branch rulemaking grows in scope and impact. Sunseriโs case, many argue, is a prime example of ordinary Americans being punished by faceless, unaccountable bureaucrats.
Sunseri: โThey Tried to Make an Example of Meโ
Sunseri was convicted last September despite his defense showing that many climbers had used the same trail over the years. He said officials seemed determined to โmake an exampleโ of him rather than apply common sense.
โThis case was a massive waste of taxpayer money and government energy from the start,โ Sunseri said. โUnfortunately, instead of working with me, the system tried to make an example of me. I know this pardon might get swept up in politics in this heated time, and thatโs unfortunateโbecause this particular case is about fairness and common sense.โ















