Michaela
U.S. Senator John Kennedy has questioned U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman nominee Paul Atkins during a Senate Banking Committee hearing over speculation of a potential pardon for former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
During the March 27 hearing, Senator Kennedy pressed Atkins on issues related to Bankman-Fried including questions about donations made by the former FTX CEO’s family to Stanford University.
“There should not be two standards of law and punishment for people in America. And every time you come to this committee, I am going to pounce on you like a ninja to find out what the SEC has done because I don’t think the SEC has done a damn thing,” Senator Kennedy said, calling on the SEC to intervene and ensure that no efforts to secure a pardon for Bankman-Fried move forward.
Furthermore, Senator Kennedy emphasized that Bankman-Fried should not receive any special treatment and urged authorities to take stronger action against both him and his family. “I read in the paper that the Bankman-Frieds were trying to get a pardon. They are crooks, and I expect the SEC to do something about it,” Senator Kennedy stated.
In January, reports surfaced that the parents of SBF, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, sought a pardon for their son from President Donald Trump, following President Trump’s widely publicized pardon of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.
SBF Potential Pardon Speculation
Bankman-Fried’s parents were not the only ones advocating for his pardon. In an unsanctioned interview with Tucker Carlson — which resulted in his placement in solitary confinement — Bankman-Fried suggested he was receptive to certain Republican viewpoints, sparking speculation about his efforts to secure clemency.
“In 2020, I was center-left, and I gave to Biden’s campaign,” Bankman-Fried stated. Before his conversation with Carlson, Bankman-Fried had publicly discussed shifts in his political outlook. In an interview with The New York Sun, the former FTX CEO voiced increasing frustration with the Biden administration and the Democratic Party, specifically criticizing their approach to cryptocurrency regulation.
Before FTX’s downfall, SBF allegedly funneled close to $40 million into political campaigns and PACs during the 2022 election cycle, seeking to influence U.S. cryptocurrency policy.
Additionally, while he was a free man, he contributed millions to efforts opposing President Trump in the 2020 election — a move that has led to doubts about his prospects for a potential pardon.
Read More
- Bankman-Fried Pardon Bid Clouded by Mixed Political Donations
- Sam Bankman-Fried Breaks Silence on X as FTT Surges, Then Falls
- The Bankman-Fried Saga: When Political Donations Become a Family Affair
Michaela has no crypto positions and does not hold any crypto assets. This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The Shib Magazine and The Shib Daily are the official media and publications of the Shiba Inu cryptocurrency project. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial adviser before making any investment decisions.
