BANKMAN-FRIED SEEKS TRUMP PARDON

Bankman-Fried was convicted on multiple fraud charges related to FTX's spectacular collapse, which wiped out billions in customer funds. The pardon application comes more than two years after his conviction, as the former crypto executive exhausts his legal options. The FTX founder once ranked among crypto's most prominent figures, donating heavily to political candidates across both parties. His arrest in the Bahamas in late 2022 shocked the industry and triggered investigations into what authorities described as one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history. Bankman-Fried's defense team has maintained claims of innocence, though he was found guilty on wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering charges. The pardon application represents a last-resort legal maneuver available to federal prisoners seeking executive clemency.