Sam Bankman-Fried's Parents Explore Seeking Trump Pardon for Son

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Bloomberg

January 30, 2025 at 2:22 PM EST


The parents of FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried are exploring ways to secure a pardon for the onetime crypto billionaire from President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter. Stanford Law School Professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried had meetings in recent weeks with lawyers and other figures considered to be in Trump’s orbit about clemency for their 32-year-old son, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud, the person said. It’s unclear if outreach has been made to the White House.

Bankman and Fried declined to comment. A lawyer for Bankman-Fried, who’s also filed a legal appeal of his 2023 conviction on charges tied to the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House declined to comment. The president’s swift use of his pardon power, including for Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, has encouraged a rush among white-collar defendants eager to put their case before Trump.

In seeking Trump’s mercy, Bankman-Fried — who went from industry darling to villain overnight — would be appealing to a man who went from crypto skeptic to booster. The crypto industry and the libertarian movement strongly advocated for a pardon for Ulbricht, who was serving a life sentence for drug-trafficking and money-laundering that occurred on his site.

Bankman-Fried doesn’t currently have the same groundswell of support but has previously made the case that his sentence was “draconian” since FTX customers have largely recovered most of the money they initially lost. Ryan Salame, a former FTX executive who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison, has also said he’s seeking a pardon.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-30/sam-bankman-fried-s-parents-explore-seeking-trump-pardon-for-son?srnd=homepage-americas

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No paywall (gift)

He's the ultimate crypto-bro. But his antics helped to collapse a couple regional banks.

FROM BEGINNING - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143006732
TO END - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143217137

[Irish_Dem]

1. Trump will probably pardon him so he can hire him.

This kid is just the person to join the Trump crime syndicate.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Only if they get to the "right number".

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Just pay up and it's basically guaranteed.

No felon left behind, provided s/he can afford it.

[littlemissmartypants]

4. Will they pay cash...

Or crypto? Or both?

[Eugene]

5. If SBF can make himself politically useful to $TRUMP, it will happen.

One malign but *hypothetical* use case, the "perfect phone call":
A now-penitent financier of Democrats renounces his ways
and denounces MF47's enemies for taking bribes.

[BigmanPigman]

6. How do these asses sleep at night?!?

These monstrous parents produced a spawn and they got very rich from their son's illegal actions. They should all rot in jail/hell next to the owl-eyed girlfriend.

[rubbersole]

11. Ouch. 👀🦉

[BidenRocks]

7. Dear parents

Fuck off!

[andym]

8. Maybe Trump can rehabilitate him by making SBF Crypto Czar

In charge of ensuring the $TRUMP token becomes the coin of the realm. After all SBF has less felony convictions for fraud (7) than Trump (34).

[homegirl]

9. The only thing to be

NEGOTIATED is the price! How Many Millions of $$$$'s!

[PortTack]

10. Sure...we have pay to play...no problem!

[2naSalit]

12. I can imagine...

That him getting out could endanger his safety.