‘Hell no’: SBF’s parents reportedly seek Trump pardon for cryptocurrency fraudster

The parents of convicted cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried are reportedly seeking a less severe sentence for their son.

Bankman-Fried received a 25-year sentence after a jury found the FTX co-founder guilty on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy-related charges last year.

Now his parents Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, both Stanford law professors, have moved to see that sentence reduced amid President Trump’s pardons for ally Steve Bannon, Jan 6 protesters and more, Bloomberg reported.

Apparently Sam Bankman-Fried’s parents are trying to get a presidential pardon from Trump. These are the same two who donated millions upon millions to Biden and the DNC. pic.twitter.com/D01FCVlGqg

— DΛVID (@DavidShares) January 30, 2025

Ryan Salame, a former FTX exec who was sentenced to over seven years is also seeking a pardon, Bloomberg reported.

The former CEO, a Democrat mega-donor, called his sentence “draconian” citing most of the FTX customers had recovered most of their losses.

Former U.S. attorney Guy Lewis disagreed at the time, and said he was “almost shocked,” by the sentence which he argued should have been much longer.

“I hate to be the hard-nosed prosecutor here but I am disappointed with the sentence. I’m almost shocked with the sentence,” Lewis told Fox Business. “It is a long sentence, but when you look at the net, what he will actually do, for a multi-billion-dollar fraud, he is going to do about 15 years, maybe less, maybe a little less, about 15 years in jail. And I don’t see it. I think the sentence should’ve been way closer to the 40 or 50 that the government asked for in the case to Judge Kaplan.”

Bankman and Fried did not make a public comment on the issue of a pardon and neither has the White House, although the current sentiment on X is that a pardon without at least something in return is not warranted:

Hell no

— katie (@katieclapp18) January 30, 2025

It was a money laundering scheme that the Democrats had, so is Sam going to sell out the Democrats & RINOs and have them prosecuted for the fraud committed?

— JMF (@jmf1591) January 31, 2025

Nope. pic.twitter.com/7qsvkG4xVd

— oNeGringo (@oNeGringo1) January 30, 2025

Before considering Sam Bankman-Fried for a pardon, how about Edward Snowden? pic.twitter.com/DcvEc46Btl

— TaraBull (@TaraBull808) January 30, 2025

That was one of the few prosecutions that was completely warranted. pic.twitter.com/REC15dFONY

— TooFuginBad (@TooFuginBad) January 30, 2025

Some suggested a possible deal in exchange for inside information on Democrats:

No pardon, but he should proffer what he knows if it implicates politicians. Then let DOJ see if it’s work a sentence reduction

— Deathrow Bodine (@Deathrow_Bodine) January 31, 2025

What if he provided witness testimony and other evidence proving a group of democrats were the ones behind it

— thatguy41020 (@Anonwwg1wgaAnon) January 31, 2025

It looked a lot like he was involved with another money laundering to elections racket. If he can explain and prove money came from these shady DNC donation groups then went back to DNC it may be well worth putting him on probation.

— @stopbeingstupidtoday (@jabbas_brother) January 31, 2025

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