Convicted crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried was once a contributor to the Democratic Party, yet his public remarks have lately taken on a distinctly MAGA tone. “Clinton-appointed Judge Lewis Kaplan made his political bias plain during my sentencing,” a recent post on [platform] states. “I respect @realDonaldTrump for standing against this ‘partisan and out-of-control activist’!”
This is among dozens of tweets railing against the deep state and other MAGA targets that Bankman-Fried, one of the century’s most infamous financial criminals, has posted in recent weeks despite being locked up in federal prison.
Though Bankman-Fried has not stated it directly, the goal of his social media push is clear: to persuade President Donald Trump to secure his release from prison. The strategy holds logic, given Trump has granted pardons to several high-profile individuals convicted of financial crimes, including [company] founder and former Bankman-Fried rival, [name].
Unfortunately for Bankman-Fried, his pleas for mercy from Trump seem futile. In response to a request for comment on his recent social media campaign, a White House spokesperson told [outlet] that Trump has no intention of pardoning Bankman-Fried.
In an email, the spokesperson directed [outlet] to a statement by Trump from January, where the president said he did not plan to pardon Bankman-Fried, along with other prominent inmates such as former New Jersey senator Robert Menendez and ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. “The President has the final say on all pardons,” the spokesperson wrote.
An attorney for Bankman-Fried did not respond to a request for comment.
Unsuccessful bid
Bankman-Fried was a long-time supporter of progressive causes and is the son of two Stanford law professors with influence in the upper ranks of the Democratic Party. But as his fraudulent crypto empire collapsed in November 2022, the crypto founder shifted rightward. In a personal document released during the trial, Bankman-Fried wrote he planned to appear on conservative TV host Tucker Carlson’s program and “declare myself a Republican.”
On the surface, the tactic seems viable, particularly in today’s political climate. Trump took office in January 2025 vowing to reverse the Biden administration’s crackdown on crypto. Under Trump, regulatory agencies have [action] key cases against blockchain companies, and the Justice Department has undergone a [change] in its approach to crypto enforcement.
Still, Bankman-Fried’s reputation as one of the top Biden donors has limited his appeal to the Trump administration. This, combined with his continued villainous standing in the crypto industry, has always made his pardon campaign a [long shot], according to D.C. insiders. This holds true even after an unsanctioned appearance on Tucker Carlson last year, which [landed] Bankman-Fried in solitary confinement.
The steep odds have not dampened Bankman-Fried’s persistence, as he is also [challenging] his conviction in federal appeals court. His X feed is filled with posts—amplified by what [experts] call “sock-puppet” accounts—promoting his new conservative credentials. (In his bio, Bankman-Fried clarifies he dictates content to a proxy via Bureau of Prisons-approved phone calls and emails.)
“Democrats favor censoring ‘misinformation’ on social media,” one [post] reads, before praising Trump’s platform. “Truth Social & GETTR have always prioritized free speech.”