Trump did not follow through on his first-day promise to pardon Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road
President Trump has not pardoned or commuted the prison sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the anonymous Internet site Silk Road, despite his campaign promise to release him “on day one.”
Ulbricht was convicted because his website, which was founded in 2011 and used cryptocurrency for payments, was used to sell illegal drugs, even though he himself did not sell any of the illegal substances.
After taking the oath of office on Monday, Trump enacted several executive actions, including efforts to reduce immigration, designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a move to continue federal executions, and pardoning or commuting time served for people sentenced on Jan. 6, 2021. Capitol.
But Trump’s first day back in the White House ended with Ulbricht still behind bars without a pardon or commutation from the president, who had promised to do so last spring.
TRUMP CONCLUDED COMMITTING THE PRISON SENTENCE OF SILK ROAD FOUNDER ROSS ULBRICHT
Members of the Libertarian Party stand in chairs as they chant and demand the release of Ross Ulbricht during the party’s national convention at the Washington Hilton on May 25, 2024 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
In May, Trump gave a speech at the Libertarian National Convention to a hostile crowd of whistle-blowers in an attempt to win over libertarian voters. Libertarians believe that government investigators have gone too far in their case against Silk Road and generally oppose the war on drugs.
While attendees were anti-Trump for much of the event, they cheered when he said he would commute Ulbricht’s sentence to time served, as the crowd chanted “Free Ross” in hopes the then-presidential candidate would take action if elected to allow the Silk founder Road to return home to his family after more than a decade behind bars.
“If you vote for me, on day one, I’m going to commute Ross Ulbricht’s sentence, to the sentence he’s served. He’s already served 11 years. We’re going to bring him home,” Trump told the gathered libertarians, many of whom held signs reading “Free Ross”.
Ulbricht reacted to Trump’s comments on the X social media platform the next day.
“Last night Donald Trump promised to commute my sentence on the first day, if re-elected,” he wrote. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After 11 years in prison, it’s hard to express how I feel at this moment. Thanks to your endless support, I may get a second chance.”
Cards with images of President Donald Trump and Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht on display for sale at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (Getty Images)
Last month, Ulbricht wrote: “For my last monthly resolution for 2024, I intend to learn every day and accelerate as much as I can as I prepare for freedom.”
Trump later repeated his promise to commute Ulbricht’s life sentence at a bitcoin conference, to loud applause.
Despite Trump failing to follow through on his promise to exonerate Ulbricht on his first day back in office, the president could reportedly pardon him as early as Tuesday.
“Pres. Trump’s staff just confirmed to me that Ross’ pardon will be issued late tonight or tomorrow morning,” Libertarian Party chair Angela McArdle wrote on X Monday night.
Elon Musk, who serves in the Trump administration’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency, also said Ulbricht would be released soon.
“Ross will be released,” Musk wrote on X.
Many libertarians said they backed Trump in the November election, citing in part his commitment to freeing Ulbricht.
TRUMP PARDONED ALMOST 1/6 OF THE ACCUSED
Supporters of Ross Ulbricht, the alleged creator and operator of the Silk Road underground marketplace, stand outside a federal courthouse in Manhattan on the first day of jury selection for his trial on January 13, 2015 in New York. (Getty Images)
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During his first term, Trump considered intervening to free Ulbricht before ultimately deciding against a pardon.
Ulbricht, now 40, ran the website from 2011 until his arrest in 2013. He was convicted two years later to life imprisonment.
“I was trying to help us move toward a freer and more just world,” Ulbricht said from prison in 2021. “We all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and now I’m here. I’m in hell.”
“Trump is done signing EOs and pardons for the night,” wrote 2024 libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver on X. “Let’s hope to see the #FREEROSSULBRICHT transport in the morning.”
