Bankman-Fried's Pardon Bid Sparks Backlash From Pro-Crypto Lawmakers

Sam Bankman-Fried, serving a 25-year federal sentence for fraud, has publicly backed President Trump's Iran strikes and administration policy positions through prison-approved intermediaries. This move is seen as a campaign for a presidential pardon.

The effort has garnered vocal opposition from pro-crypto Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), who said 'The guy shouldn't be pardoned. He should go to jail for a long, long time.'

Bankman-Fried's statements through a proxy on X praised the Iran military operation as necessary to counter nuclear risk and credited Trump with appointing Paul Atkins to the SEC.

The White House has publicly rejected Bankman-Fried's pardon request, stating that President Trump's stance remains unchanged since January 2026. This stands in contrast to other crypto-adjacent clemency cases, including pardons for Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and BitMEX co-founders.

The FTX empire, meanwhile, is nearing the end of its unwinding process, with the FTX Recovery Trust distributing approximately $2.2 billion to creditors earlier this month.