Trump pardons ‘political prisoner’ Libertarian Ross Ulbricht of life sentences

by Jessica Marie Baumgartner

Photo Alamy

President Donald Trump issued a full pardon for web developer and Libertarian Ross Ulbricht on Tuesday. 

He posted the news to Truth Social, stating, “I just called the mother 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.”

“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,” Trump added, “He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”

The Libertarian party has been seeking to free Ulbricht for years. Last year, President Trump promised to pardon Ulbricht, via RSBN.

He was sentenced to die in prison and forfeit the profits he made amounting to $183,961,921 for creating a dark website called Silk Road, where users would be able to sell goods without government control, after drugs and other illegal goods were sold on the site, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York

According to Ulbricht’s diary, shared by Wired, Ulbricht wished to “create a website where people could buy anything anonymously, with no trail whatsoever that could lead back to them.”

Forbes quoted Ulbrich as stating that Libertarian principles were the foundation of Silk. “It is a great idea and a great practical system…It is not a utopia. It is regulated by market forces, not a central power.”

“The same principles that have allowed Silk Road to flourish can and do work anywhere human beings come together,” Ulbrich said. “The only difference is that the State is unable to get its thieving murderous mitts on it.”

Ulbricht’s case has been paramount to the Libertarian movement, and they thanked President Trump in a post on X for issuing the pardon.

According to the post, Libertarian National Committee Chair Angela McArdle stated, “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.”

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