White House spokesperson: President Trump will not approve the pardon of FTX founder SBF

According to Fortune, convicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is launching a campaign on social media to seek a presidential pardon, but a White House spokesperson reiterated to Fortune that President Trump has no intention of granting him a pardon.

Although Bankman-Fried was once a major donor to the Democratic Party, his recent comments on the social platform X have clearly shifted to support MAGA positions, criticizing the "deep state" and praising Trump. This strategy comes in the context of the Trump administration's lenient stance on cryptocurrency regulation and the backdrop of pardons being offered, including for Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.

Bankman-Fried is currently serving a 25-year sentence in federal prison while challenging his conviction in federal appeals court. The White House spokesperson cited Trump's statement from January of this year, confirming that the president does not intend to pardon Bankman-Fried or several other high-profile inmates.