US Senate unanimously opposes clemency for Bankman-Fried

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution on July 15, 2026, formally declaring that convicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried should not receive any form of executive clemency. The nonbinding measure, which passed by unanimous consent with no senator objecting, expresses the chamber's bipartisan opposition to a presidential pardon or commutation of his 25-year prison sentence.

The resolution, designated S. Res. 772, states that "under no circumstances" should Bankman-Fried receive clemency and affirms the Senate's commitment to the rule of law and the integrity of the U.S. financial system. While the resolution carries no legal force and cannot constrain the president's constitutional pardon power, it places the Senate on record against leniency for the former crypto executive.

The bipartisan measure was introduced on June 17 by Senators Cynthia Lummis, a Republican from Wyoming, and Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, who lead the Senate Banking Committee's digital assets subcommittee. When announcing the resolution, Lummis stated that Bankman-Fried had his day in court, while Gallego was more direct, saying he should be kept locked up. The senators argued that...