- The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution stating Sam Bankman-Fried should never receive a pardon or sentence commutation.
- Bipartisan support reflects continued scrutiny of one of the largest financial fraud cases in U.S. history.
- Although the resolution is non-binding, it signals strong political opposition to any future clemency.
The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved a resolution declaring that former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried should “under no circumstances” receive a presidential pardon or sentence commutation.
The measure passed by unanimous consent, meaning no senator objected to its adoption. While the resolution does not carry legal force, it sends a clear bipartisan message that lawmakers believe Bankman-Fried should serve his sentence in full.
The resolution was introduced by Senator Cynthia Lummis, the Republican chair of the Senate Banking Committee’s digital assets subcommittee, and Senator Ruben Gallego, the panel’s ranking Democrat.
Bipartisan Support Against Clemency
Lummis, one of Congress’ strongest supporters of the cryptocurrency industry, has consistently argued that Bankman-Fried should remain incarcerated following his conviction.
“He had his day in court,” Lummis said when introducing the resolution. Gallego echoed that position, saying simply, “Keep him locked up.”
The bipartisan backing highlights how lawmakers across both parties continue to view the FTX collapse as one of the most significant financial scandals in recent history.
Bankman-Fried Faces Decades in Prison
Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 on seven criminal counts related to the collapse of FTX.
Federal prosecutors described the case as one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history, alleging that billions of dollars in customer funds were improperly transferred from the FTX exchange to Alameda Research, the trading firm also controlled by Bankman-Fried.
Authorities said the money was used for speculative trading, venture investments, political donations, and luxury real estate purchases.
Under his current sentence, Bankman-Fried is not expected to become eligible for release until approximately 2044.
The FTX Collapse Changed the Crypto Industry
The downfall of FTX began in November 2022, after questions emerged regarding Alameda Research’s balance sheet.
A report revealed that much of Alameda’s reported assets consisted of FTT, a token created by FTX itself. Shortly afterward, Binance announced plans to sell its FTT holdings, triggering a sharp decline in the token’s price and a wave of customer withdrawals.
Unable to meet redemption requests because customer funds had already been diverted, FTX filed for bankruptcy on November 11, 2022, marking one of the most significant failures in cryptocurrency history.
Resolution Signals Political Position
Although the Senate’s resolution cannot legally prevent a future president from granting clemency, it represents a strong statement of congressional intent.
President Donald Trump previously said he had no plans to pardon Bankman-Fried, despite granting clemency to several other high-profile figures, including Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.
The Senate’s unanimous vote underscores that, regardless of broader debates surrounding cryptocurrency regulation, lawmakers remain united in holding individuals accountable for major financial fraud involving digital assets.
