Trump Administration Weighs 250 Pardons for US 250th Anniversary Celebration

The White House is reportedly considering issuing around 250 presidential pardons to mark the United States’ 250th birthday, according to a report citing people familiar with internal discussions.

The possible announcement could come on June 14, which is Donald Trump’s birthday, or during Independence Day celebrations on July 4. However, officials stress that the plan is still in early discussion stages and has not been finalized.

More than 16,000 pardon requests were submitted last year, reflecting the scale of applications the administration is reviewing.

Crypto Figures Among Those Seeking Clemency

Several high-profile cryptocurrency-related figures have expressed interest in receiving pardons as part of the broader review process.

Sam Bankman Fried, founder of FTX, who was convicted on multiple fraud-related charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison, has been actively seeking clemency, although reports suggest he is unlikely to be pardoned.

Keonne Rodriguez, a developer linked to Samourai Wallet, has also publicly expressed hope for a pardon. A petition supporting him has gathered over 16,000 signatures, and past statements from Trump indicate his case may be reviewed.

Cases linked to Tornado Cash developers Roman Storm and Roman Semenov have also drawn attention, though support petitions for them remain relatively small.

Previous Crypto Pardons Under Trump

The report also notes that several crypto industry figures have already received pardons during Trump’s second term. These include BitMEX co-founders Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, and Samuel Reed, as well as Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.

The potential new round of pardons would come as part of broader celebrations marking 250 years of US independence.