The U.S. Senate has passed: SBF can never be permanently pardoned! A lawmaker said, “Let him keep serving time”—he could be jailed until 2044.

The U.S. Senate has recently passed—by unanimous consent—a non-binding resolution numbered S. Res. 772, spelling out in plain language that FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried “should under no circumstances” receive a presidential pardon or a reduced sentence. This is the formal outcome of the vote following a joint proposal earlier in mid-June by Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis and Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, and it also directly responds to Sam Bankman-Fried’s pardon application submitted earlier this month.
(Background: Is SBF’s pardon hopeless? Bipartisan senators join forces to file a case! Cynthia Lummis fires back: he stole tens of billions of dollars.)
(Additional context: SBF has officially submitted a “presidential pardon application,” $FTT surging 60%! Will Trump give it a nod?)

Key Summary

• The U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. Res. 772, declaring that Sam Bankman-Fried should not be granted a presidential pardon under any circumstances
• Co-sponsor Cynthia Lummis is the crypto industry’s most reliable ally in Congress, but this time she argues for keeping SBF detained
• Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison; under the term, he must stay behind bars until around 2044 before he can apply for release

The U.S. Senate has recently taken an official stance on the pardon issue involving FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. By unanimous consent, the Senate passed a resolution numbered S. Res. 772, whose wording is explicit: under any circumstances, Sam Bankman-Fried should not receive a presidential pardon, a sentence reduction, or any form of federal pardon. This is a non-binding resolution, with an impact equivalent to a toughly worded open letter—but what it represents is the collective message of the entire Senate directed at the White House. Republicans and Democrats argue fiercely on nearly every issue, yet in this matter, unusually, they have taken the same side.

The resolution was jointly introduced by the chair and vice ranking member of the digital assets subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking—Cynthia Lummis, a Republican senator from Wyoming, and Ruben Gallego, a Democratic senator from Arizona. Among them, Cynthia Lummis’s position is the most thought-provoking. She is the crypto industry’s most steadfast ally in Congress. For years, she has been continuously pushing for legislative frameworks for the industry, yet this time she is advocating, without hesitation, that Sam Bankman-Fried be kept locked up. The staunchest supporters in the crypto circle personally stepping in to block the pardon route for what is arguably the biggest fraud criminal in crypto history—the contrast itself is an attitude.

Even the staunchest crypto ally won’t give the green light

Gallego’s stance is even more direct. He ends his statement with a single line: “Let him keep serving his sentence.” The backdrop to that remark is that this month Sam Bankman-Fried formally filed an application for a “pardon after completion of sentence” with the Office of the Pardon Attorney in the Department of Justice, which is still under review. Instead of admitting guilt or reflecting in prison, he has continued to claim innocence and package himself as the victim of political persecution—this is also the fuse that led to rare unity between members of both parties.

In 2023, a jury found Sam Bankman-Fried guilty on multiple charges, including wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering conspiracy, and he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Under the current calculation of his sentence, he will not be eligible to apply for release until around 2044.

In the end, this Senate resolution cannot bind the White House; the final pardon power still rests with the president. However, in January this year, Trump told The New York Times that he has no intention of pardoning Sam Bankman-Fried. As this pardon battle has dragged on until now, for the time being Congress and the White House are standing on the same side—meaning that if Sam Bankman-Fried wants to turn the tables through a pardon, he may have to wait until hope is gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the U.S. Senate oppose a pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried?

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. Res. 772, arguing that Sam Bankman-Fried defrauded investors of billions of dollars and has shown no remorse to date. They contend that granting a pardon would harm the rule of law and the integrity of the financial system, and therefore they argue that he should not be pardoned under any circumstances.

When can Sam Bankman-Fried get out of prison?

In 2023, he was sentenced to 25 years for crimes including wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Under the current calculation of his sentence, he must stay incarcerated until around 2044 to be eligible to apply for release, unless he obtains a presidential pardon or a sentence reduction—exactly what the Senate resolution opposes.