If President Trump is serious about restoring trust in the system and standing against corruption, he must not pardon Sam Bankman-Fried.

The disgraced crypto billionaire, convicted of one of the largest financial frauds in modern history, has set his sights on clemency. His parents, both prominent legal scholars, are reportedly lobbying behind the scenes to secure a deal to reduce his 25-year fraud sentence.

This cannot happen.

Bankman-Fried’s crimes were not accidents. They were not the result of reckless investing or unforeseen market downturns. They were intentional, calculated and executed with the arrogance of a man who believed he was above consequences. He defrauded thousands of people, wiping out their life savings, all while positioning himself as a caring, progressive wunderkind who could reshape the world of finance.

He played politicians, journalists and regulators like puppets, all while running what amounted to a Ponzi scheme disguised as a cutting-edge cryptocurrency exchange.

FTX was not just a failing business; it was a criminal empire. Bankman-Fried received billions in customer deposits and, rather than safeguard them,

© The Hill