<p>Sam Bankman-Fried has submitted a request to the Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney to expunge his prison sentence from his record. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison in 2024 for defrauding investors of over $1.7 billion while leading the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump holds the authority to grant pardon requests. In January, the New York Times presented Trump with several hypothetical clemency cases, including Bankman-Fried's, to which Trump indicated he had no intention of granting a pardon.</p>
<p>In a recent interview with Fox Business, Bankman-Fried expressed his interest in a pardon, stating, "Absolutely," and acknowledged that the decision ultimately rests with the president.</p>
<p>Bankman-Fried did not disclose whether his family or associates had contacted the White House regarding his case. It is noted that anyone can request a presidential pardon, and the existence of an open case does not guarantee approval.</p>
<p>Currently, Bankman-Fried is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California, with a scheduled release date of June 17, 2044.</p>
<p>In 2025, Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, a cryptocurrency billionaire who had served nearly a year for money laundering charges, which was described by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as an exercise of constitutional authority amid the Biden Administration's actions against the cryptocurrency industry.</p>
<p>The Washington Examiner has reached out to the Department of Justice for further comments regarding Bankman-Fried's case.</p>
