Trump Denies Pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried, Dashes FTX Founder’s Hopes

The hopes of Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the once-dominant figure in the crypto world and founder of FTX, for an early release from his 25-year prison sentence have been definitively dashed. Former President Donald Trump, in a candid interview with The New York Times, explicitly stated his intention not to exercise presidential clemency for SBF.

This revelation emerged from a wide-ranging interview where Trump addressed several high-profile legal matters. After discussing his refusal to pardon rapper “Diddy” Combs, who is entangled in a major sex scandal, Trump swiftly turned his attention to the disgraced crypto mogul, declaring unequivocally that SBF would not be on his “mercy list.”

Throughout SBF’s incarceration, his parents, former Stanford Law professors Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman, have reportedly engaged in extensive lobbying efforts. Sources indicate frequent visits to Washington D.C. and communications with lawyers within Trump’s inner circle, all aimed at securing a presidential pardon for their son.

Meanwhile, SBF himself has been actively attempting an image rehabilitation campaign on social media platform X in recent months. He has posted numerous pro-Republican comments, even lauding Trump’s decision to pardon a former Honduran president, seemingly in an attempt to curry favor with the “crypto president.” However, Trump has evidently not been swayed. Despite positioning himself as a strong proponent of digital assets and even operating his own cryptocurrency ventures, Trump has chosen to draw a clear line concerning SBF’s colossal fraud case.

Adding a peculiar twist to the narrative, SBF and “Diddy” Combs not only share the same appellate attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, but were also reportedly housed in the same cell block at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, a curious detail that became a talking point within the prison community.

SBF is not alone in facing Trump’s firm ‘no.’ In the interview, Trump also outlined a list of individuals he “absolutely would not save,” which includes former New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, currently embroiled in corruption charges, and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who recently faced cross-border arrest by U.S. forces and is confronting terrorism charges.

However, Trump’s stance on the crypto world isn’t entirely unyielding. Throughout his political career, he has demonstrated a willingness to extend clemency to other figures within the digital asset space, having previously pardoned Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, and the founding team of BitMEX.