Sam Bankman-Fried, the former co-founder of FTX who is serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for fraud-related convictions tied to the exchange’s collapse, has formally applied for a presidential pardon. Multiple outlets report that his request is filed with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney. The filing is described as a “pardon after completion of sentence” and is reported as pending. The reports place the application after Bankman-Fried’s March 2024 sentencing, following his conviction on wire fraud and conspiracy counts.

Separate accounts describe Bankman-Fried telling FOX Business that he “absolutely” wants a pardon and framing the decision as one for the president. Some reporting also notes that Trump has previously said he does not plan to grant such a pardon, and that the president’s public stance has not prevented clemency applications from being submitted. Other details in the coverage include Bankman-Fried continuing to challenge aspects of the prosecution and referencing bankruptcy repayments to customers, while his legal status remains unchanged: he is still incarcerated under the sentence imposed by the court.