Source: Fortune.com
Summary
Sam Bankman-Fried, the convicted crypto fraudster, has submitted a pardon request to the Department of Justice, but a White House spokesperson says the odds of President Donald Trump granting him clemency are slim. Bankman-Fried’s parents had been engaging with Trump’s inner circle to curry favor, and he even conducted an unsanctioned interview with Tucker Carlson from prison. Trump has previously stated he has no plans to pardon Bankman-Fried, among other high-profile figures. Bankman-Fried was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating one of the largest financial crimes in history.
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The numbers tell one story.
Bankman-Fried’s clemency bid comes as Trump doles out pardons to high-profile crypto figures and white-collar criminals. Bankman-Fried maintains his innocence, but his motion for a new trial was denied. A pardon would clear civil and professional penalties, but not his criminal record. Michael Avenatti, who shared a cell with Bankman-Fried, calls him “one of the most arrogant, least self-aware individuals” he’s met.
The charm offensive has a familiar ring to it.
Author: Evan Null
