Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has stirred up fresh controversy from prison after publicly supporting the proposed CLARITY Act and praising Donald Trump for the effort.
His comments quickly triggered strong reactions from U.S. lawmakers.
SBF praises the CLARITY Act
In a post on X, Bankman-Fried called the CLARITY Act a “huge milestone for crypto” and said it was “a huge achievement” for Trump.
He also claimed that before his prosecution, he had pushed for similar legislation that would reduce the regulatory power of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under former chair Gary Gensler.
Bankman-Fried went further, suggesting that Gensler played a role in helping the Department of Justice prosecute him, repeating earlier claims that his case had political motives.
Lawmakers respond quickly
His comments did not sit well with lawmakers.
Cynthia Lummis responded sharply, saying Bankman-Fried’s support for the bill was misguided.
She wrote that the CLARITY Act would not help him at all, and might actually lead to a longer prison sentence.
“Someone’s looking for a pardon and doesn’t realize the CLARITY Act would have you locked up for much longer than 25 years,” she said.
Lummis also made it clear that her own crypto legislation is very different from the bill she claims Bankman-Fried tried to push through Congress in 2022.
“We do not need — nor want — your support,” she added.
Warren warns lawmakers
Elizabeth Warren also criticized the situation, saying Bankman-Fried’s endorsement should raise serious concerns for lawmakers debating crypto regulations.
Warren repeated her long-standing view that any crypto legislation must protect investors and maintain financial stability.
SBF trying to stay in the conversation
Bankman-Fried is currently serving a long federal prison sentence after being convicted over the collapse of FTX.
Since his conviction, he has occasionally tried to return to public discussions through social media posts and media outreach. Previous attempts to influence political opinion — including outreach related to Trump — have mostly failed to gain attention.
The latest controversy shows how sensitive the topic of crypto regulation remains in Washington, especially as lawmakers continue debating new rules following the massive collapse of FTX.
