Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced a bipartisan resolution Wednesday, urging President Trump not to pardon Sam Bankman-Fried, days after a federal appeals court upheld his 25-year sentence.
Senate Resolution Calls SBF Pardon Off-Limits Under Any Circumstances
The four-page resolution states that under no circumstances should Bankman-Fried receive executive clemency.
The move carries added weight because both senators are central figures in negotiating the CLARITY Act, the crypto market structure legislation currently advancing through Congress.
“He had his day in court,” Lummis said. “A jury didn’t buy the act, and a judge gave him 25 years for a reason. Mr. Bankman-Fried can spend that time chasing clemency he hasn’t earned, or he can finally do something novel and take accountability,” she added.
Gallego went further. “He took advantage of millions of Americans and stole their savings. Perhaps worst of all, he has shown no remorse for his crimes and has instead tried to laughably claim he is a victim of lawfare.”
Appeals Court Already Shut Down SBF’s Last Legal Escape Route
On June 12, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld Bankman-Fried’s fraud conviction and 25-year sentence, rejecting his argument that he was denied a fair trial.
The three-judge panel wrote that overwhelming evidence proved Bankman-Fried knowingly committed large-scale fraud while publicly assuring customers their funds were safe.
Those funds were simultaneously used for real estate purchases, political donations, and investments.
Bankman-Fried has spent the past year posting on X praising Trump’s actions, including the pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.
Trump has previously said he has no plans to pardon him. The White House did not respond Wednesday.
Why This Matters For The CLARITY Act Right Now
The resolution lands at a critical moment for crypto legislation. Gallego has pushed to include provisions in the CLARITY Act barring the president, vice president, and senior officials from engaging in digital asset transactions.
That ethics provision remains a major sticking point, and linking SBF to the broader pardon debate adds political pressure on the White House at the worst possible time for the bill.
Image: Shutterstock
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