Convicted Diesel Tuners Could Get Relaxed Penalties in New Federal Committee Push

The United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is challenging the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice. Specifically, a letter submitted to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi calls into question the organizations’ regulatory enforcement authority. It mentions the weaponization of “tyrannical consent decrees” against American companies, including Louisiana-based diesel truck tuner PPEI. Committee members believe these arrangements are politically motivated to “retaliate against business and individuals who spoke out against the Biden Administration.”

PPEI’s is one of the highest-profile cases in a string of federal enforcement actions targeting the automotive aftermarket industry. In addition to paying $3.1 million in civil penalties and criminal fines for violating the Clean Air Act, the shop and its owner Kory Willis are required to obtain California Air Resource Board approval for each of its products despite the company not advertising or selling in California. This, the committee argues, is cause for major concern.

“In some instances, these federal consent decrees were based on state laws rather than federal laws and regulations,” the letter states. “Failing to comply with the requirements, which are often extremely expensive for small businesses, all but ensured DOJ and EPA would force the business to close, potentially leaving countless Americans without jobs.”

CARB is notoriously strict on emissions regulations and, under the Clean Air Act, California is allowed to set its requirements independent of federal guidelines. DOJ-EPA-Regulatory-Enforcement-Weaponization-Letter-FINAL

The committee’s letter notably remarks on cases not related to diesel tuning; however, it points to PPEI’s consent decree explicitly by naming it in the footnotes. Other convicted automotive aftermarket companies have also signed consent decrees that include the CARB requirements.

PPEI was punished for selling hardware and software that allowed diesel trucks to operate with their emissions equipment removed. Court documents quote PPEI owner Willis as saying that the shop tuned more than 500 vehicles per week with upwards of 100,000 customers, selling “well over” $1 million in products monthly. In December 2024, roughly two and a half years after signing the consent decree in March 2022, Willis was ordered to complete a three-year probation period as well as 10 months of home detention; PPEI also entered into a five-year probation period.

The Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement, led by Chairman and Louisiana Representative Clay Higgins, requests that the DOJ and EPA provide a staff-level briefing by April 25 to assist with its investigation and oversight. The letter asks briefers to explain what’s being done to ensure consent decrees are not “overly restrictive” and leading to “costly requirements that harm American business and citizens.” Also, the committee wants them to ensure “the weaponization of overly burdensome regulatory enforcement” is not being leveraged related to environmental cases.

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