Kentucky Congressional Representative Thomas Massie went on Tim Pool’s Timcast IRL podcast to share a letter written to him from now-pardoned Ross Ulbricht that moved him to tears.
While reading the letter—which was written while the Silk Road website operator was in prison—to Pool’s cohosts Ian Crossland and Josie Glabach, Glabach also started to cry.
Why It Matters
During his first day in office, President Donald Trump pardoned Capitol rioters and Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison.
Prior to his pardon, Ross was also a convicted drug dealer. Pardoning him counters Trump’s previous assertions that drug dealers should face capital punishment.
Left: Ross Ulbricht pictured by the ocean, shared by the Free Ross website. Right: Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the Cannon building on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Left: Ross Ulbricht pictured by the ocean, shared by the Free Ross website. Right: Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the Cannon building on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Left: freeross.org, Right: Tom Williams/Left: freeross.org, Right: CQ Roll Call via AP Images
What To Know
Prior to his Trump pardon, Ulbricht had been sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional 40 years for creating and running Silk Road.
This was a dark web website which, per the Department of Justice, facilitated the distribution of “hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs and other unlawful goods and services to more than 100,000 buyers, and to launder hundreds of millions of dollars deriving from these unlawful transactions.” Silk Road was also linked to six overdose deaths around the world from drugs bought on the site.
Ulbricht gained a significant following in Libertarian circles from people who believed he was the target of government overreach. Several petitions to have him released were circulated while he was in prison, including one which amassed over 600,000 signatures.
In his Truth Social announcement about Ulbricht’s pardoning, President Trump said he made this action to honor “the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly.”
Libertarian Party delegates wait to enter a ballroom for a speech by former President Donald Trump holding signs that say “FREE ROSS” during the Libertarian National Convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., May… Libertarian Party delegates wait to enter a ballroom for a speech by former President Donald Trump holding signs that say “FREE ROSS” during the Libertarian National Convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., May 25, 2024 Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images
On Timcast IRL, Massie read Ulbricht’s letter, which thanked him for being a constant and powerful voice for his campaign for freedom. Massie also stressed that Ulbricht’s pardon is an example of how elections matter, as without Trump he would have “rot in prison.”
Massie, who said that he believed Ulbricht was subject to “a ridiculous over sentencing, regardless of guilt or not,” told the podcast hosts that Ulbricht was actually ready to settle for a sentence communication, but Trump gave him a full pardon.
The Congressional Representative said he believes that Ulbricht was charged because the Government wanted to make “an example out of him because they didn’t want people using Bitcoin.”
The DOJ found Ulbricht “controlled and oversaw every aspect of Silk Road, and managed a staff of paid, online administrators and computer programmers who assisted with the day-to-day operation of the site.” He’s said to have made more than $13 million in commissions generated from illegal sales conducted on Silk Road, and that he “demonstrated a willingness to use violence to protect his criminal enterprise and the anonymity of its users, soliciting six murders-for-hire in connection with operating the site, although there is no evidence that these murders were actually carried out.”
What People Are Saying
At the time of sentencing, Manhattan U.S. attorney Preet Bharara said: “Make no mistake: Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited people’s addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people. Ulbricht went from hiding his cybercrime identity to becoming the face of cybercrime and as today’s sentence proves, no one is above the law.”
President Trump said: “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!”
Ross Ulbricht said in his letter to Massie: “As I await my new life and freedom I just want to acknowledge you and thank you for your part in bringing about this wonderful outcome…my imminent release is as much of a victory for you as it is for me and my family.”
Angela McArdle, the chair of the Libertarian National Committee, said: “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.”
What Happens Next
Ulbricht is now free from prison and has had his criminal record wiped. It is currently unknown where he will go next.
President Trump has embraced Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, so his Justice Department may take on fewer cases that crack down on the use of Bitcoin.
