Why Did Trump Pardon Ross Ulbricht?

By leah jones

Donald Trump’s day one decisions as the 47th POTUS, like establishing an anti-transgender agenda and pardoning Jan 6. Insurrectionists were not surprising. Still, pardoning Ross Ulbricht shocked many.

A president offering pardons is not unusual. Joe Biden just pardoned his son, Hunter, and others. However, most sitting presidents pardon individuals as one of their final moves in office, as Biden did.

This explains, in part, why it's controversial that Trump chose to pardon Ulbricht during the first week of his second term as POTUS.

Who Is Ross Ulbricht?

Ross Ulbricht is the designer of the dark web marketplace that was well-known during the late 2000s and early 2010s - the Silk Road.

It was designed to connect buyers and sellers with no government interference, implementing libertarian ideology that government should have no say in private affairs.

Though Ulbricht has maintained that the Silk Road was intended to simply facilitate a private marketplace, it became a hub for crime like drug trafficking and money laundering.

The IRS, FBI and SEC took down Ulbricht and the Silk Road in October 2013. At that point it facilitated transactions totaling over 9.5 million Bitcoin, or over $900 billion today.

Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 of federal charges involving distributing narcotics, money laundering conspiracy, computer hacking and engaging in a criminal enterprise.

He was charged for the actions of the site's over 100,000 users and given a double life sentence plus 40 years with no possibility of parole.

Why Did Trump Pardon Ulbricht?

Ulbricht has become a sort of martyr for the libertarian movement as many believe he was unfairly charged and made an example of by the government.

Trump ignored the pleas for a pardon for Ulbricht in his first term, but at last May’s Libertarian National Convention he stated it would be one of his first priorities as president.

Does Trump Have an Ulterior Motive?

After Trump recently launched a pair of crypto meme coins, many suspect his decision could be part of a scheme to invest in Ulbricht’s rumored billions in crypto.

There is no evidence to support a financial connection between Trump and Ulbricht, but many conspiracy theorists, and Trump supporters, have expressed concerns.

For more information and full details, click the link below.

Why Did Trump Pardon Ross Ulbricht? Explaining the President’s Controversial Choice