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president donald trump on Tuesday he signed a full and unconditional pardon of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the anonymous marketplace website Silk Road, which the president promised to do “on Day 1” while on the campaign trail.
“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbri(c)ht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement that supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to sign a full and unconditional pardon of his son. , Ross,” Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. “The scum that worked to get him convicted were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the government’s modern weaponry against me. He got two life sentences plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”
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.
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.
TRUMP FAILED ON “DAY 1” PROMISE TO GRANT SILK ROAD FOUNDER ROSS ULBRICHT WITH CLEVERANCE
People hold signs in support of jailed darknet marketplace Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht as former President Trump attends the Libertarian Party National Convention in Washington, DC on May 25, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
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 ” in hopes that the presidential candidate would take action 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 1st 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, many of them libertarians. who carried signs that said “Free Ross”.
Ulbricht reacted to Trump’s comments the next day on social media platform X.
TRUMP PARDONS ALMOST EVERY 1/6 DEMANDED
Members of the Libertarian Party stand on chairs as they chant and call for the release of Ross Ulbricht during the party’s national convention at the Washington Hilton on May 25, 2024, in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
“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.
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While Trump failed to follow through on his promise to release Ulbricht on his first day back in office, he did on his second day.
Ulbricht, now 40, operated the website from 2011 until his arrest in 2013. He was convicted two years later in prison for life.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
