Sam Bankman-Fried, disgraced FTX founder turned inmate, resurfaces not for his billion-dollar fraud but for courting Donald Trump and the GOP.
Serving 25 years for collapsing an $8 billion crypto empire, he’s now angling for a presidential pardon—an audacious pivot for someone who once kept the Republican Party at arm’s length.
A Public Desperate Shift For Sam Bankman-Fried
Speaking from a Brooklyn prison in a series of interviews with the New York Sun, Sam Bankman-Fried expressed his growing disillusionment with the Democratic Party and the Biden administration. The former CEO didn’t mince his words, describing them as “destructive” and difficult to work with.
“I became really frustrated and disappointed with what I saw of the Biden administration and the Democratic Party,” Bankman-Fried said, contrasting them with what he now claims is the more “reasonable” approach of the Republican Party.
Dozens of movies will be made about SBF/FTX
Never know may include all the shameless SBF shills and outright liars https://t.co/OMHlGi6KdV pic.twitter.com/9yqRX9UMz4
— Sunil (FTX Creditor Champion) (@sunil_trades) February 21, 2025
Interestingly, Bankman-Fried, formerly a prolific Democratic donor who contributed $40 million to Democratic campaigns and PACs in 2022, has now aligned himself with political rhetoric from the right. He praised Elon Musk’s budget-slashing efforts, calling Musk’s “chainsaw approach” to government spending the kind of bold step the country needs.
“Some things actually do need more than a 10% cut,” Sam Bankman-Fried remarked. “They need a 30, 50, 70% [cut], but of course, they need to be rebuilt correctly.”
‘The Government is Against Me, Yo’
This shift in tone comes as his parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, spearhead a clemency push to secure a pardon for their son from President Trump.
Bankman-Fried has echoed the familiar refrain of DOJ politicization, a claim often leveled by Trump as he wrestles with his own legal troubles.
The comparison to Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, isn’t lost. Trump pardoned Ulbricht during his presidency, spotlighting his influence on Bitcoin’s rise. Bankman-Fried’s parents are now banking on that similar narrative.
Not stopping there, Bankman-Fried aimed Judge Lewis Kaplan. He blasted Kaplan’s conduct in his trial and even invoked Kaplan’s role in a separate case that found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll.
“I know President Trump had a lot of frustrations with Judge Kaplan,” Bankman-Fried said. “I certainly did as well.”
Sam Bankman-Fried: Politics and Crypto Collide
Bankman-Fried’s bid for clemency underscores the uneasy collision between cryptocurrency and political maneuvering. Once hailed as a leader in the burgeoning crypto space, his downfall has reignited debates about regulation, corruption, and political influence in the industry.
Whether or not his clemency campaign succeeds, one thing remains evident—Sam Bankman-Fried’s saga is far from over.
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Key Takeaways
- Serving 25 years for collapsing an $8 billion crypto empire, SBF is now angling for a presidential pardon.
- Bankman-Fried, formerly a prolific Democratic donor who contributed $40 million to Democratic campaigns.
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