Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of FTX, has officially filed for a pardon from President Trump, as indicated by the Justice Department’s Pardon Attorney Office. Currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for fraud and money laundering, Bankman-Fried's application follows a trend where Trump has pardoned many convicted of white-collar crimes, often linked to financial fraud. Notably, many pardoned individuals were donors to Trump's campaigns. The news about Bankman-Fried's pardon application was first reported by Bloomberg.

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In Brief

Posted:

8:04 AM PDT · June 8, 2026

Former FTX chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried leaves Manhattan federal court, New York, January 3, 2023. Image Credits: ED JONES/AFP / Getty Images

Sean O'Kane

Sam Bankman-Fried applies for a pardon from Trump

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried has officially filed for a pardon from President Trump, according to the Justice Department’s Pardon Attorney Office website.

Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted on fraud and money laundering charges in 2024. The pardon application was first reported by Bloomberg News.

Trump has pardoned hundreds of people during his second term. While a majority of those were people who participated in the January 6 riot, many were convicted of financial fraud. An NBC News analysis from January found that more than half of the individual pardons granted were to people who committed white-collar crimes like money laundering, bank fraud, and wire fraud.

Trump has pardoned a number of people who have donated large sums to his political campaigns. Very few of those he has pardoned filed the official application with the Justice Department, according to Bloomberg.

Topics

Crypto, In Brief, president trump, Sam Bankman-Fried

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