Is SBF's pardon hopeless? U.S. bipartisan senators jointly file a bill! Cynthia Lummis fires back: He stole billions of dollars

Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis and Democratic Senator Rubén Gallego jointly introduced a resolution on Wednesday (6/17), arguing that the convicted FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) should not receive a presidential pardon, a sentence reduction, or any form of federal clemency. Earlier, SBF officially submitted a pardon application to the White House in June.
(Background: SBF formally filed a “presidential pardon application,” $FTT surging 60%! Will Trump say yes?)
(Additional background: Trump refuses to pardon FTX founder SBF, and the 25-year prison sentence continues)

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• Lummis fires first
• Gallego lands a follow-up jab: claims to be politically persecuted—what a joke
• The resolution is non-binding

Key Takeaways

• Republican Lummis and Democratic Gallego jointly propose a resolution opposing any presidential pardon, sentence reduction, or clemency for SBF
• The full text of the resolution is about four pages and is non-binding; it argues that SBF’s 25-year sentence accords with justice and that they will seek the Senate’s unanimous consent to move forward with it
• On June 8, SBF submitted a pardon application to the Department of Justice (a post-sentencing pardon); the White House reiterated that Trump said in January that he had no intention of granting a pardon

After Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) submitted a pardon application to the White House, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress—rarely—found common ground and moved to oppose it together. Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis and Democratic Senator Rubén Gallego jointly introduced a resolution on Wednesday (6/17), arguing that the convicted FTX co-founder should not receive a presidential pardon, a sentence reduction, or any form of federal clemency.

There are not many issues that can get both parties to act together, and SBF is one of them.

Lummis fires first

Cynthia Lummis’s language leaves no room for softening. She pointed out that SBF didn’t “misplace” other people’s tens of billions of dollars in assets—he appropriated it as his own, used it to prop up his lavish lifestyle, and now wants to rely on a presidential pardon to escape the consequences of his own actions.

She said that SBF has already been tried in court. The jury didn’t buy his story, and the judge sentenced him to 25 years for good reason. In her view, SBF should do something new and learn to take responsibility for himself.

Gallego lands a follow-up jab: claims to be politically persecuted—what a joke

Gallego, from the Democratic Party, also didn’t hold back. He criticized SBF for showing no remorse for his crimes and instead trying to absurdly package himself as the victim of “political persecution” (lawfare). Gallego delivered the line bluntly: “What a joke.”

The full text of this resolution is about four pages. It clearly argues that under any circumstances, SBF should not receive executive clemency, and emphasizes that his 25-year prison term “accords with judicial justice,” not the result of an unfair investigation.

• Proponents: Republican Cynthia Lummis and Democratic Rubén Gallego—bipartisan collaboration
• The full resolution is about four pages, arguing that SBF should not be pardoned under any circumstances; it is a non-binding resolution
• On June 8, SBF officially submitted documents to the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the Department of Justice; the current status is “under review”
• The request is for clemency “after serving a sentence,” not for immediate release

The resolution is non-binding

However, this resolution itself has no legal force. It is more like a collective statement by lawmakers. What truly determines SBF’s fate still lies with the White House.

And there had been no indication beforehand that Trump intended to pardon SBF. When asked whether it might be possible to pardon SBF, a White House spokesperson directly sent the question back to Trump’s old remarks from January—remarks in which Trump had already said he had no such intention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do U.S. senators oppose pardoning SBF?

Republican Cynthia Lummis and Democratic Rubén Gallego believe that SBF appropriated billions of dollars of customer funds and showed no remorse. His 25-year sentence is consistent with justice. Therefore, they jointly proposed a resolution opposing any presidential pardon or sentence reduction.

What is the status of SBF’s pardon application right now?

SBF officially submitted his pardon application to the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the Department of Justice on June 8, 2026. The application is for clemency after serving his sentence, not for immediate release, and the current status is “under review.” The White House reiterated that Trump said in January that he had no intention of granting a pardon.