Sam Bankman-Fried family looks to Trump for legal relief after fraud sentence
Sam Bankman-Fried asks Trump for legal relief
Sam Bankman-Fried’s parents, both Stanford Law School professors, are reportedly seeking legal avenues to secure a presidential pardon for their son from former President Donald Trump.
Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud following the platform’s collapse, according to Coingape.
Efforts to Secure Clemency
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried have been in discussions with legal professionals and individuals connected to Trump’s circle regarding potential clemency. While there is no confirmation of direct outreach to Trump or his campaign, the family is actively exploring options.
Trump, during his presidency, issued pardons to several high-profile individuals, raising speculation that Bankman-Fried’s legal team sees an opportunity for intervention should he return to the White House. The case of Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, has been used as a reference point by some, though Bankman-Fried lacks the same level of public support for clemency.
His defense has argued that the 25-year sentence is excessive, emphasizing that most FTX customers have recovered their lost funds. Some legal experts suggest this claim could factor into pardon discussions, though federal prosecutors have maintained that Bankman-Fried orchestrated one of the largest financial frauds in recent history.
As Trump remains the frontrunner in the Republican presidential race, the Bankman-Fried family’s pursuit of legal relief underscores the potential influence of presidential power in high-profile white-collar cases. Whether these efforts gain traction remains uncertain.
Earlier last year, FTX filed a lawsuit against Binance and its co-founder Changpeng Zhao, demanding the return of $1.76 billion, which FTX claims was fraudulently transferred by Binance.
