SBF's Pardon Hopes Fade Amidst 10,000-Petition Backlog
Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the disgraced founder of the collapsed crypto exchange FTX, is unlikely to receive clemency, according to experts. The backlog of pardon petitions, currently standing at around 10,000, makes it highly improbable for SBF to be granted a presidential pardon.
Following the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President, an increasing number of white-collar criminals, including SBF, have begun exploring pathways to pardon. However, the growing backlog of pardon cases has made opportunities for conviction relief minimal, according to William Livolsi, Executive Director of the national U.S. support organization White Collar Support Group.
In 2015, President Trump fulfilled a campaign promise by pardoning Ross Ulbricht, the creator and operator of the Silk Road dark web marketplace. Ulbricht was sentenced to 40 years in prison plus two life sentences for his role in the illegal marketplace. Bitcoin enthusiasts saw Ulbricht's conviction as overly harsh.
Shortly after Ulbricht's pardon, reports indicated that SBF's parents were exploring the possibility of seeking a presidential pardon for their son. SBF was sentenced to 25 years in prison following the collapse of his crypto empire. However, Livolsi noted that the comparison between Ulbricht and SBF is not straightforward, as their cases and sentenced periods are very different. Additionally, Ulbricht's pardon was directly linked to a campaign promise made by President Trump to his political supporters.
The Pardon Attorney's Office has established a formal pardon application process, which begins with the submission of a pardon petition and ends with a formal recommendation by the pardon attorney. The final determination for each case is then made by the U.S. President. With the current backlog of approximately 10,000 petitions, the prospects for SBF receiving clemency appear slim.








































































































