Bankman-Fried seeks Trump pardon

Sam Bankman-Fried, the jailed founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has formally applied for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The application was filed with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney and is currently listed as pending.  

Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted on fraud and related charges connected to the collapse of FTX in 2022. Prosecutors said billions of dollars in customer funds were misused through the affiliated trading firm Alameda Research.  

Reports indicate that his request is for a “pardon after completion of sentence,” which differs from a commutation that would shorten or end a prison term. He is also continuing to appeal his conviction.  

The move comes despite Trump having said earlier this year that he did not plan to pardon Bankman-Fried. However, Trump has granted clemency to several high-profile figures, including some from the cryptocurrency industry, making the outcome uncertain.  

At this stage, the pardon request is only an application. No decision has been announced by the White House.