On Tuesday, Donald Trump declared a “full and unconditional” pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the underground drug market Silk Road.
Ulbricht has been serving a life sentence since 2013 for facilitating over $200 million in illegal trade through the use of Bitcoin.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated that he had personally called Ulbricht’s mother to inform her of the pardon, which he granted “in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement” who had supported him greatly.
According to Trump, the same individuals who were involved in targeting him with government power were also responsible for convicting Ulbricht, and he believes the punishment of two life sentences plus 40 years is excessive.
The president had initially announced his intention to commute Ulbricht’s sentence during a speech at the Libertarian national convention in May. The Libertarian party has long advocated for drug legalization and has been a vocal advocate for Ulbricht’s release, considering his case as an example of government overreach.
