"Bankman-Fried Speaks: From Prison, FTX's Fallen CEO Criticizes Biden, Seeks Pardon"

Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has spoken publicly for the first time since his conviction, giving an interview from prison that shed light on his views and the ongoing FTX repayment process. In a series of interviews conducted by Ari Hoffmann of The New York Sun, Bankman-Fried discussed his political stance, the FTX bankruptcy process, and his hopes for a presidential pardon.

Bankman-Fried, currently serving a 25-year sentence for fraud, criticized the Biden administration and expressed sympathy for President Trump, marking a significant shift from his previous political leanings. He argued that his prosecution was a result of "prosecutorial overreach" during the Biden administration's term. The interviews coincided with FTX's commencement of customer repayments, which are based on 2022 cryptocurrency prices rather than current market rates, a decision that has drawn criticism from affected customers.

The former crypto executive's appeal for clemency follows President Trump's recent pardon of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace. Bankman-Fried drew parallels between his situation and Trump's legal challenges, pointing out that Judge Lewis Kaplan presided over both his fraud case and Trump's federal defamation trial. He also mentioned the recent resignation of federal prosecutor Danielle Sassoon, who led the case against him.

Bankman-Fried addressed his past political donations, revealing that he was the second-largest donor to Biden's 2020 campaign. He claimed this was an effort to prevent the Democratic party from aligning with Bernie Sanders' democratic-socialist policies. He also stated that he provided equivalent support to Republican candidates through undisclosed channels. In a marked shift from his previous political stance, Bankman-Fried expressed frustration with the Democratic party and the Biden administration, stating that the Republican party was far more reasonable.

Regarding the legal proceedings, Bankman-Fried maintained that FTX and its sister company Alameda Research remained solvent throughout the crisis. He criticized law firm Sullivan & Cromwell's handling of FTX's bankruptcy process after November 2022, claiming that there were enough assets to get all customers paid in kind, in full, in November 2022. He argued that customers had to wait unnecessarily while the estate declared the company "hopelessly insolvent."

Bankman-Fried's parents, Joseph Bankman and