- Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried have met with lawyers and members of president Donald Trump’s administration
- Trump has already pardoned Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht who served 12 years in prison
- Early Bitcoin investor Roger Ver, who faces a 109-year prison sentence, has also asked Trump to help him
The parents of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried are seeking to get their son a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.
Stanford law professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried have reportedly met with lawyers and members of Trump’s administration. According to Bloomberg, the pair hopes to receive clemency for their son, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence.
Bankman-Fried was sentenced last March after being found guilt of fraud. The platform filed for bankruptcy in 2022.
Pardoning Ulbricht
The move comes as Trump gave a presidential pardon to Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht in the first week of entering the White House.
During his presidential campaign, Trump promised that he would release Ulbricht – who served 12 years in prison – if he was re-elected as president.
According to the report, Bankman-Fried previously called his sentence “draconian” despite FTX customers having recovered most of their money. In December, it was reported that the crypto exchange would begin repaying customers in early January.
Gary Wang, FTX co-founder, avoided a prison sentence in November with judge Lewis Kaplan sentencing him to time served. Nishad Singh, an ex-FTX executive, also avoided a prison sentence.
However, Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research – the sister company to FTX – received a 24-month prison sentence in September.
Last Sunday, early Bitcoin investor Roger Ver posted a video message on X calling on Trump to help him avoid a prison sentence of up to 109 years. In his message, Ver wrote: “Mr. President, I am an American, and I need your help. Only you, with your commitment to justice, can save me @realDonaldTrump.”
