• frezik@midwest.social
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    11 days ago

    You have to be pretty damn naive to think Trump pardoned the guy in a vacuum. That’s not tribalism, but a simple observation that Trump doesn’t do anything unless it benefits himself.

    • sugar_in_your_tea
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      11 days ago

      Right. He went to the Libertarian Party national convention and promised to pardon him, and this is him making good on that promise. It doesn’t cost him anything and it potentially gets him a little more support from the libertarian-leaning people in Congress.

      • frezik@midwest.social
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        11 days ago

        Oh, it’s not just that. Trump wants to setup a bitcoin reserve. Ulbrich had 50,676 bitcoins (~$5.3B at the current exchange rate) that were all confiscated as part of his arrest. He doesn’t get those back just because he was pardoned. Good chance it’s now the seed money for the bitcoin reserve.

        • sugar_in_your_tea
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          11 days ago

          I highly doubt the two are related. He could just leave the guy in prison and still get the money.