In a united declaration, the U.S. Senate has signaled that Sam Bankman-Fried should never be granted clemency. On Wednesday, the chamber passed a resolution asserting that the convicted founder of FTX ought to "under no circumstances" be given a pardon or a commutation of his 25-year sentence.

The measure, identified as S. Res. 772, was approved through unanimous consent, a procedural move that allows a resolution to pass as long as no senator voices an objection. In addition to its specific stance on Bankman-Fried, the resolution also affirmed the Senate's dedication to "the rule of law and integrity of the United States financial system."

It is important to note that this resolution is nonbinding and possesses no legal authority. Consequently, it cannot restrict the president's constitutional prerogative to grant clemency.

At the helm of this measure were Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Senator Rubén Gallego (D-AZ), who serve as the leading Republican and Democrat, respectively, on the Senate Banking Committee's subcommittee on digital assets. The pair introduced it on June 17. At that time, Lummis, who is known as the crypto industry's most visible supporter in Congress, commented that Bankman-Fried "had his day in court." Gallego offered a more direct sentiment, stating, "Keep him locked up."

A spokesperson from Senator Lummis's office conveyed to Decrypt at the time, “SBF has clearly ramped up his pardon campaign and Senator Lummis wants Fried to know she and her colleagues think he’s right where he belongs.”

This Senate vote occurs as Bankman-Fried continues to search for legal escape routes. He lost his appeal just last month after a federal court upheld his conviction for fraud. Separately, former President Donald Trump indicated in January that he did not have any intention of pardoning him.

Trump has shown a willingness to provide clemency to other figures associated with cryptocurrency. Among those he pardoned are Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, the founder of Binance; Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Samuel Reed, the co-founders of BitMEX; and Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road.

In November 2023, a jury convicted Bankman-Fried on seven counts connected to the 2022 implosion of FTX, which was once among the largest crypto exchanges globally. He was subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison for what prosecutors described as one of the most significant financial frauds in the history of the United States, following the loss of over $8 billion by American customers.

With the judicial system, the White House, and now the entire Senate aligned against him, Bankman-Fried's available options are diminishing. His most probable path to release remains his scheduled date, which is projected to be around the year 2044.