Important points
- Donald Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, fulfilling a promise he made during his re-election campaign.
- The pardon has gained support from liberals and cryptocurrency advocates who view Ulbricht's life sentence as excessive.
Share this article
President Donald Trump has granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous Silk Road market. Although this decision came later than expected, it fulfilled an important campaign promise made by President Trump in his bid for re-election.
President Trump announced the pardon for Truth Social, saying he informed Ross Ulbricht's mother of his decision and paid tribute to her and the libertarian movement. He criticized the prosecutors involved, calling the double life sentence and 40 years in prison “ridiculous.”
“Words cannot express how grateful we are,” the family's Free Loss Campaign account wrote to X. “President Trump is a man of his word and he just saved Ross' life. Ross is a free man!!!!!”
In May 2024, President Trump promised to commute Ulbricht's sentence on his first day in office in a speech to the Libertarian National Convention. He reiterated his pledge at the late Bitcoin 2024 conference. July, That's why many believe he will be able to do it once he takes office.
“If you vote for me, on day one I will commute Ross Ulbricht's sentence to prison. He has already served 11 years. We are going to bring him home.” President Trump spoke at the Libertarian National Convention.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After 11 years in prison, it's hard to put into words how I feel right now. Thanks to your continued support, I may be given a second chance.” Ulbricht expressed his gratitude on the X show the next day.
Ulbricht has served 11 years since he was sentenced in 2015 to a double life sentence and 40 years in prison without parole for his role in the creation and operation of Silk Road, a company known for selling illegal drugs and other illegal goods. He has served more than one year in prison.
His case has garnered widespread attention and support from liberals, cryptocurrency advocates, and those who argue his punishment is too harsh.
Elon Musk responded to a call from an X user on Monday and said Ulbricht was scheduled to be “released.”
Angela McArdle, president of the Libertarian National Committee, also reported that Trump's staff promised that a pardon for Ulbricht was forthcoming.
Share this article
