FTX Founder's Parents Seek Trump Pardon

Sam Bankman-Fried's parents, Stanford Law School professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, have reportedly been exploring potential avenues to secure a presidential pardon for their son from former President Donald Trump. According to Bloomberg News, the couple has engaged in discussions with lawyers and individuals within Trump's orbit in recent weeks, although it remains unclear whether they have made direct outreach to the White House.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the 32-year-old founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2023 for fraud. His parents' efforts to secure a pardon signal an attempt to seek clemency for their son, who has already filed an appeal against his conviction. Neither the parents nor the White House have commented on the matter, and a lawyer representing Bankman-Fried did not immediately respond to inquiries.

Trump's swift use of the presidential pardon, including the recent commutation of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht's life sentence, has sparked a surge in requests from high-profile white-collar criminals. Jeffrey Grant, a legal adviser for white-collar defendants, noted that he has received around 100 pardons-related inquiries. However, Bankman-Fried does not currently enjoy the widespread support that Ulbricht had, and his 25-year sentence has been criticized as excessively harsh, particularly since many FTX customers have recovered most of their lost funds.

Another former FTX executive, Ryan Salame, who received a seven-year sentence, has also expressed interest in a presidential pardon. Sam Mangel, a white-collar prison consultant who has previously worked on clemency requests for Trump allies Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, said he handles multiple cases and has received informal guidance that cases related to sex crimes, true crimes of violence, and illegal immigration cases will not be considered.