President Donald Trump fulfilled another campaign promise Tuesday, pardoning Ross Ulbricht, the founder of marketplace website Silk Road who was championed by the libertarian movement.
Trump promised during the Libertarian National Convention in May that he would pardon Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 after being found guilty on seven charges, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, narcotics conspiracy, and money laundering.
"I just called the mother [Lynn Ulbricht] of Ross William Ulbricht 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 in a Truth Social post. "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. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!"
Ulbricht was convicted over allegations his website, founded in 2011 and one of the first to use Bitcoin to buy and sell goods, was used to sell illegal drugs, even though he did not sell any illegal drugs himself.
Ulbricht's attorneys reportedly claimed the IP addresses connected to the case were gathered without a warrant and violated their client's Fourth Amendment rights, though an appeals court ruled against the claim.
Ulbricht’s supporters argued his sentence was overly punitive and adopted the slogan "Free Ross" online.
"Ross Ulbricht has been a libertarian political prisoner for more than a decade," Libertarian National Committee Chair Angela McArdle said in a statement posted on the party's X account. "I’m proud to say that saving his life has been one of our top priorities and that has finally paid off.
"Ross, congratulations to you and your family. God bless you and keep you safe in your newfound freedom. … Thank you to Pres. Trump for following through on your promise. This is an incredible moment in Libertarian history."
In a post on X after Trump’s victory in November, Ulbricht wrote: "Immense gratitude to everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf. I trust him to honor his pledge and give me a second chance. After 11+ years in darkness, I can finally see the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel. Thank you so much, @realDonaldTrump."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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