by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project:
If Trump is serious about creating meaningful, lasting change, the pardons must keep coming.
On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump made waves when he finally delivered on a long-standing promise to pardon Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road. As we reported earlier this week, Ross is finally free after more than a decade of unjust incarceration for the “crime” of creating an online marketplace. Ulbricht’s case has always been a glaring example of government overreach, where the punishment far exceeded any reasonable measure of justice.
While Ross’s release is a monumental victory, it is just the beginning. If Trump is serious about creating meaningful, lasting change, the pardons must keep coming. There are countless people unjustly languishing in prison or facing prosecution for victimless crimes—cases that highlight the state’s abuse of power and its war on those who dare to challenge it.
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Here are five individuals who should be next on Trump’s list of pardons.
1. Roman Storm
Roman Storm, a developer associated with Tornado Cash, has been caught in the crosshairs of federal regulators for creating software that helps people protect their financial privacy. Tornado Cash, a crypto mixer, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for allegedly facilitating money laundering. However, as critics have pointed out, Tornado Cash is software, not a person, and cannot itself commit crimes.
A federal appeals court recently ruled that the sanctions against Tornado Cash were unlawful, stating that the smart contracts at its core are not “property” and cannot be owned or regulated in the way the government claims. Despite this, Roman Storm faces a legal nightmare simply for helping create a tool that gives people control over their financial autonomy. As Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin said, “You created Tornado in significant part because of my suggestion that it is something worth building. It would violate basic honor for me to do that, and then fail to support you in your hour of need. In Ethereum we protect our own, and uphold our honor.”
The persecution of Storm serves as yet another warning from the state: challenge its authority, and it will make you pay, even if your actions harm no one.
2. Dexter Taylor
Dexter Taylor, a Brooklyn-based software engineer, is serving a staggering ten-year prison sentence in New York for the “crime” of building unregistered firearms, labeled by statist fearmongers as “ghost guns.” Despite the Second Amendment being crystal clear on Americans’ right to bear arms, Taylor’s case exemplifies how state governments trample over constitutional protections.
Taylor, who had no prior criminal record, argued that his actions were fully protected under the Constitution. “The law of the land is clear,” Taylor stated. “I’d like to have my conviction reversed.” His lawyer, Vinoo Varghese, pointed out the absurdity of Taylor’s harsh sentence, noting that “people convicted of manslaughter or molesting children are going to get out earlier than Dexter Taylor.”
The injustice of Taylor’s case is undeniable, and it’s part of a broader effort by the state to erode Americans’ Second Amendment rights under the guise of “public safety.”
Now that we’ve freed Ross, let’s not forget about Dexter! pic.twitter.com/HcO2K1DwpG
— The Free Thought Project 2.0 (@TheFreeThought2) January 23, 2025
3. Edward Snowden
It should come as no surprise that Edward Snowden is on this list. Snowden’s revelations about the NSA’s global surveillance program changed the world. By exposing the U.S. government’s unconstitutional mass spying on its own citizens, Snowden sparked a global conversation about privacy and human rights. Despite his heroism, Snowden remains in exile in Russia, unable to return home without facing up to 30 years in prison under outdated espionage charges.
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