U.S. Senate Unanimously Opposes Clemency for FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried

Highlights:

• The Senate unanimously rejected any federal clemency for Sam Bankman-Fried after lawmakers approved a bipartisan resolution.
• Lawmakers said a presidential pardon would weaken accountability and send the wrong message after the FTX fraud case.
• The resolution urges the White House to respect the jury’s verdict and keep the 25-year prison sentence in place.

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved S.Res.772 on July 15, declaring that FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried should receive federal clemency under “no circumstances.” Senators adopted the resolution through unanimous consent after no senator objected when the measure reached the Senate floor.

🚨 U.S. SENATE OPPOSES CLEMENCY FOR FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution opposing any presidential pardon or sentence commutation for Sam Bankman-Fried.

The FTX founder was convicted in 2023 on seven fraud-related counts… pic.twitter.com/wqJ38Kg9e2

— Cryip (@Cryip_co) July 16, 2026

Although the resolution cannot limit the president’s constitutional pardon authority, it records what lawmakers called the unambiguous sense of the Senate. The measure opposes any presidential pardon, sentence commutation, or other form of executive clemency for the former FTX chief. It also places the Senate formally on record before any future presidential decision.

The resolution says denying clemency would support the rule of law and protect the integrity of the U.S. financial system. It also rejects claims that Bankman-Fried’s prosecution represented political “lawfare.” Instead, it affirms the federal criminal justice process that produced a unanimous jury conviction and a 25-year prison sentence from an independent federal judge. Lawmakers said those decisions should remain unchanged without presidential intervention. They also argued that executive clemency would undermine confidence in the justice system.

Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ruben Gallego introduced the bipartisan resolution on June 17 after Bankman-Fried sought presidential clemency. The Senate later approved their resolution without a single objection.

Gallego urged President Donald Trump not to grant Bankman-Fried any form of executive clemency. He said, “Sam Bankman-Fried is a criminal. He took advantage of millions of Americans and stole their savings.” Gallego also said Bankman-Fried had shown no remorse and dismissed his claims of political persecution. “Keep him locked up,” he added. Lummis also rejected any effort to shorten the former FTX chief’s sentence. “He had his day in court,” she said.

Why Sam Bankman-Fried Wants a Presidential Pardon

The Senate approved the resolution after Bankman-Fried filed a presidential pardon application in June, seeking executive clemency while challenging his conviction through the courts. However, a federal appeals court later upheld both his conviction and 25-year prison sentence. The ruling reduced his options for overturning the case, although further legal review remains available. Senators responded by reinforcing their opposition before any clemency decision could emerge.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried applies for pardon from President Trump. pic.twitter.com/wHMhFvEoTo

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) June 8, 2026

A three-judge panel rejected Bankman-Fried’s claim that the trial court wrongly excluded defense evidence. As a result, the appeals court left his conviction and sentence unchanged. The Senate resolution points to that ruling when defending the federal justice process. It says the unanimous jury verdict and the independent judge’s sentence should remain intact. Lawmakers argued that presidential intervention would override a lawful criminal process.

The resolution warns that clemency would erase the conviction, weaken deterrence, and send a deeply damaging message after one of the largest financial fraud cases. It says a pardon could suggest that perpetrators of large financial fraud can escape permanent accountability. The measure also cites the Securities and Exchange Commission’s allegation that Bankman-Fried diverted billions of dollars in customer funds to Alameda Research. It says he used customer money as his personal piggy bank. Lummis said, “Sam Bankman-Fried didn’t lose other people’s billions, he took them and used them to fund his lavish lifestyle.”

Previous Crypto Pardons Add More Context

The Senate adopted the resolution after President Donald Trump granted clemency to other figures connected to the crypto industry. Trump pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht in January last year and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao in October. However, Trump said in January that he did not plan to pardon Bankman-Fried.

The resolution cannot prevent a president from granting executive clemency because the Constitution gives that authority to the White House. However, the unanimous vote formally records bipartisan Senate opposition to any pardon or sentence reduction for Bankman-Fried.