Trump issued the order on Tuesday, the second day of his second administration. The “unconditional pardon” is a big deal for cryptocurrency enthusiasts and libertarians, who have been pushing for Ulbricht’s sentence to be absolved for years.
“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,” Trump wrote on social media.
“The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me,” the president added. “He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”
Ulbricht, 40, was sentenced in 2015 for running the darknet platform Silk Road, which was used as an online black market for illegal drugs and other products purchased and sold using cryptocurrency.
“If you vote for me, on day one, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht,” Trump told attendees of the Libertarian Party’s convention back in May.
Angela McArdle, Libertarian National Committee chairwoman, called Trump’s action on Tuesday an “incredible moment in Libertarian history.”
“Ross Ulbricht has been a libertarian political prisoner for more than a decade. I’m proud to say that saving his life has been one of our top priorities and that has finally paid off,” McArdle added. “Ross, congratulations to you and your family. God bless you and keep you safe in your new found freedom. On behalf of the Libertarian Party, we are gifting you with an honorary lifetime membership. Thank you to Pres. Trump for following through on your promise.”
Ulbricht set up Silk Road under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts” and the platform was inspired by libertarian economic theory.
The Silk Road, while controversial, was one of the first large-scale use cases for bitcoin, which was a nascent form of currency at the time but has since exploded in popularity and worth over $100,000 today. On the day of his arrest, bitcoin was worth just around $130.
Ulbricht was convicted of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit money laundering, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, and conspiracy to commit computer hacking, among other charges.
He was sentenced to two life imprisonment sentences without the possibility of parole plus 40 additional years in prison. He was also ordered to pay some $183 million in restitution.
Ulbricht’s supporters and criminal justice advocates have long deemed the sentence excessively harsh, especially given that he wasn’t charged with a violent crime.
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In terms of clemency, a presidential pardon is different than a presidential commutation. Pardons wipe out the legal consequences of a conviction, while a commutation simply eliminates the punishment.
A commutation of Ulbricht’s sentence was expected, but Trump decided to go a step further and pardon him, erasing his felony conviction.
Hailey Bullis contributed to this report.
