Florida Divers Pardoned by Trump for Releasing Sharks and Grouper Express Surprise
Two Florida divers who were convicted of theft for releasing sharks and a grouper from a longline and were later pardoned by President Trump expressed their surprise at the clemency. John Moore Jr., the boat captain, and Tanner Mansell, a crew member, discovered what they believed to be an illegal fishing line off the Florida coast in 2020. They freed the sharks and grouper and reported the line to wildlife authorities. The line was later found to be owned by a licensed fisherman conducting shark research. Moore Jr. and Mansell were convicted of property theft in 2022 but did not serve prison time. They were restricted from traveling outside the country and voting in Florida due to their convictions. Trump's pardon overturned these restrictions. Moore Jr. stated that they did not seek the pardon from the White House and had actually filed paperwork to appeal to the Supreme Court before the pardon was granted. He acknowledged that he would not have interfered with a legal fishing line if he had known it was legal, as he was a commercial fisherman. The divers expressed their gratitude for the pardon and the opportunity to move forward without the legal restrictions.