SBF's Pardon Push: Crypto Mogul Tries to Woo Trump From Behind Bars

Sam Bankman-Fried, serving a 25-year federal sentence for fraud, has been using prison-approved intermediaries to publicly back President Trump's Iran strikes and administration policy positions in an apparent campaign for a presidential pardon. Despite 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 continues to write through a proxy on X, praising the Iran military operation as necessary to counter nuclear risk.

Bankman-Fried has also credited Trump with 'saving' the SEC through the appointment of Paul Atkins and argued that gas prices were lower under Trump than Biden. He praised Trump's Truth Social platform and criticized Democratic approaches to content moderation.

The campaign has generated pushback from lawmakers who spent years building credibility on crypto policy, reflecting concern that a Bankman-Fried pardon would damage the sector's political standing.