Former billionaire cryptocurrency executive Sam Bankman-Fried, who was once a major Democratic donor, is now seeking a pardon from the Trump administration to overturn his conviction for fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering in the collapse of his crypto exchange, FTX. Bankman-Fried’s parents, both Stanford law professors, are working with a lawyer connected to Trump, as well as Washington lobbyists, in hopes of securing a pardon.
Despite not reaching out directly to Trump or his advisors, Bankman-Fried’s allies are trying to leverage Trump’s history of granting pardons to those with connections to him or accusations of prosecutorial misconduct. Bankman-Fried has recently appeared in a jailhouse interview with Tucker Carlson in an attempt to appeal to Trump, claiming that he was closer to Republicans in Washington at the time of his arrest.
Bankman-Fried, who has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, maintains his innocence and is appealing his conviction with claims of unfair treatment by the judge and prosecutor in his case. His allies believe that highlighting these alleged flaws in his prosecution may sway Trump’s decision on a potential pardon.
Despite not fitting the typical profile of someone Trump would pardon, Bankman-Fried’s efforts are a last-ditch attempt to reverse his conviction. While Trump has shown a willingness to grant clemency to individuals who resonate with him or have access to his Republican allies, it remains to be seen whether Bankman-Fried’s pardon efforts will succeed.
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