Disgraced cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried has been placed in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following a jailhouse interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, The New York Times reports. The interview, recorded via video call, was published on Thursday and has sparked controversy, as it was reportedly conducted without the approval of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In the interview, Bankman-Fried, who is serving 25 years for defrauding investors and customers of FTX, made an indirect pitch for a pardon to President Donald Trump. He talked to Carlson about his experience at MDC Brooklyn, mentioning that while he hasn’t been attacked, the worst part of prison is how it distorts time, isolates him from the world, and leaves him bored without a meaningful project. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies—including his parents, law professors Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried—are reportedly consulting with a lawyer connected to Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns in an effort to secure a pardon for their son. Though they have not reached out to Trump directly, sources indicate they are hoping to appeal to the president’s transactional approach to clemency. While speaking with Carlson, Bankman-Fried expressed cautious optimism about the potential for Trump to reshape the crypto industry and hinted that his ties to Washington Republicans may help his case. The push for clemency, however, has not gained significant traction, and it remains uncertain whether the efforts will succeed in influencing the president.
Read it at The New York Times
