Sam Bankman-Fried, a former cryptocurrency mogul, is seeking a pardon from the Trump administration after being convicted of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering related to the collapse of his crypto exchange, FTX. His parents and allies are working to secure his release from a 25-year prison sentence. They have consulted with a lawyer with ties to Trump, reached out to Washington lobbyists, and even had a jailhouse interview with Tucker Carlson.
Bankman-Fried’s supporters believe they can point to flaws in his prosecution that would appeal to Trump, despite the businessman’s past support for Democrats and opposition to the former president. While there is no direct indication that Trump or his advisers have been approached about a pardon, the effort is strategically aimed at capitalizing on Trump’s transactional approach to clemency.
Bankman-Fried’s legal team claims that the prosecution’s case was flawed and that evidence that could have contradicted the charges was unfairly prevented from being presented in court. They argue that if the full story were known, public perception of the case would change.
Despite the push for a pardon, the effort does not appear to have gained much traction, with Bankman-Fried facing backlash within the crypto community. His interview with Carlson led to him being placed in solitary confinement due to a violation of Bureau of Prisons communication rules.
Bankman-Fried’s case remains a long shot for a pardon, but his allies are hopeful that aspects of his case and the people involved may catch Trump’s attention given the former president’s past willingness to grant clemency to those with connections to his circle of Republican allies.
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