US lawmakers warn against presidential pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried
Two US senators, Cynthia Lummis and Rubén Gallego, are backing a non-binding resolution opposing any pardon or commutation for Sam Bankman-Fried. It says he should not receive executive clemency “under no circumstances,” arguing that pardoning him would erase his conviction, weaken deterrence, and signal that major financial fraud can escape accountability. The resolution says his 25-year sentence reflects the scale and deliberateness of his crimes, his lack of remorse, and the harm caused to millions of victims. The move follows Bankman-Fried’s formal pardon request to Donald Trump after a federal appeals court upheld his conviction and sentence. SBF was convicted in November 2023 on seven felony counts tied to the misuse of FTX customer funds after the exchange’s collapse, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Trump has previously said he did not plan to pardon him.
