According to Fortune, former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is seeking a pardon from former President Donald Trump, but political experts view his chances as slim.
The disgraced crypto entrepreneur, sentenced to 25 years in prison after the collapse of his exchange, has shifted his public stance in an effort to align with Trump’s base.
Bankman-Fried, once a major Democratic donor and a key figure in Washington’s crypto lobbying scene, was among the largest contributors to President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
His influence extended to Capitol Hill, where he donated tens of millions to congressional candidates, advocating for crypto regulations and pandemic preparedness.
However, following FTX’s bankruptcy and his legal troubles, he claimed to have secretly funneled equal amounts to Republicans through untraceable “dark money” channels.
Unauthorized Interview Lands Bankman-Fried in Solitary
Now, Bankman-Fried appears to be attempting a political rebranding. A recent interview on The Tucker Carlson Show, reportedly unauthorized, led to his placement in solitary confinement.
Despite this, he has continued outreach efforts, including consulting a lawyer linked to Trump. Additionally, his father, Stanford Law professor Joe Bankman, co-wrote an opinion piece praising Trump’s economic policies.
Despite these moves, crypto industry insiders remain skeptical. One lobbyist, speaking anonymously, dismissed the pardon effort outright, calling the odds “near zero.”
Another acknowledged that Trump’s increasing alignment with the crypto sector—highlighted by his past pardon of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht—could improve Bankman-Fried’s chances.
However, the lobbyist noted that unlike Ulbricht, who was widely supported in libertarian crypto circles, Bankman-Fried remains largely unpopular due to the massive fraud that triggered a prolonged downturn in the industry.
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