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President Trump did not pardon or commute the prison sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the anonymous marketplace website 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 illicit substances.
After taking the oath of office on Monday, Trump issued several executive actions, including efforts to reduce immigration, designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a move to resume federal executions and pardoning or commuting the sentences of people convicted of January 6 2021, Capitol riot.
But Trump’s first day in the White House ended with Ulbricht still behind bars without a pardon or commutation from the president, which he promised to do last spring.
TRUMP PROMISES TO COMMUTE PRISON SENTENCE OF SILK ROAD FOUNDER ROSS ULBRICHT
In May, Trump delivered a speech at the National Libertarian Convention to a hostile crowd of boos in an attempt to win over libertarian voters. Libertarians believe government investigators overstated their case against Silk Road and generally oppose the war on drugs.
While attendees were not pro-Trump for most of the event, they did cheer when he said he would commute Ulbricht’s sentence to full time, as the crowd chanted “Free Ross ” hoping the then-presidential candidate would. take steps if elected to allow the founder of Silk Road to return home to his family after more than a decade behind bars.
“If you vote for me, on the first day I’m going to commute Ross Ulbricht’s sentence, to time served. He’s already served 11 years. We’re going to bring him home,” Trump told the crowd of many libertarians. of which they carried signs saying “Free Ross.”
Ulbricht reacted to Trump’s comments the next day on social media platform X.
“Last night, Donald Trump pledged to commute my sentence on the 1st, if re-elected,” she wrote. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After 11 years in prison, it’s hard to express how I feel right now. It’s because of your eternal support that I can have a second chance.”
Last month, Ulbricht wrote: “For my last monthly resolution of 2024, I intend to study every day and catch up as much as I can as I prepare for freedom.”
Trump later reiterated his promise to commute Ulbricht’s life sentence at a bitcoin conference, for which he received loud applause.
Although Trump has not followed through on his promise to release Ulbricht on his first day back in office, the president could still grant him clemency as early as Tuesday.
“President Trump staff just confirmed to me that Ross’ pardon will be issued tonight or tomorrow morning,” Libertarian Party Chairwoman Angela McArdle wrote to X on Monday night.
Elon Musk, who works in the Trump administration’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, also said Ulbricht would be released soon.
“Ross will be released,” Musk wrote to X.
Many libertarians have said they supported Trump in the November election, citing in part his pledge to free Ulbricht.
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During his first term, Trump considered intervening to free Ulbricht before ultimately deciding against the pardon.
Ulbricht, now 40, operated the website from 2011 until his arrest in 2013. He was convicted two years later in prison for life.
“I was trying to help us move toward a freer, more equal 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,” 2024 libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver wrote on X. “Hopefully, we’ll see a switch from #FREEROSSULBRICHT in the morning.”