Senators introduce resolution against Bankman-Fried pardon

Two U.S. senators introduced a bipartisan resolution on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, urging that former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried receive no form of presidential clemency. The move by Senator Cynthia Lummis, a Republican from Wyoming, and Senator Rubén Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, aims to create political pressure against any pardon or commutation for the convicted fraudster.

The non-binding resolution states that under no circumstances should Bankman-Fried be granted executive clemency, arguing that his 25-year prison sentence reflects the extraordinary scale of his crimes, his lack of remorse, and the harm inflicted on millions of victims. The senators warned that granting clemency would undermine deterrence for large-scale financial fraud and send a damaging message about accountability.

Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 on seven felony counts related to the misuse of billions of dollars in FTX customer funds, a scheme prosecutors described as one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March 2024. Last week, on June 12, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld both his conviction and sentence,...