Roger Ver, known by the nickname “Bitcoin Jesus” for his early investment and promotion of the popular crypto, has reportedly paid $600,000 to longtime Trump associate Roger Stone to lobby him, NYT reported.
Ver is facing charges for his alleged involvement in mail fraud, tax evasion, and filing false tax returns. Per congressional filings, Ver defrauded the IRS, causing a loss of at least $48 million.
Ver has denied the charges, citing logistical challenges in filing the exit tax, including the illiquid nature of the Bitcoin market at that time.
In a video posted on his social media in January, Ver appealed to Trump, saying that he was being threatened with a possible sentence of more than 100 years in prison for his role in promoting crypto.
Roger Stone Files Paperwork, Lobbying for Bitcoin Jesus
According to the report, Roger Stone is lobbying Congress for Ver to change the law under which he was charged. He filed paperwork in February, which read that Stone had been retained by Ver and paid $600,000 to help his client’s case.
His lobbying comes at a time when President Trump has embraced crypto, granting clemency to crypto pioneers, including darknet marketplace Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht.
In February, Ulbricht openly called for support for Roger Ver, seeking a pardon over his tax evasion charges. He expressed gratitude to Ver for supporting him during his imprisonment and called on others to rally behind Ver.
“Roger Ver was there for me when I was down and needed help. Now Roger needs our support,” Ulbricht wrote on social media. “No one should spend the rest of their life in prison over taxes.”
Additionally, President Trump has backed away from Gensler-era enforcement against several crypto companies.
Roger Ver Deserves a Presidential Pardon: Stone
Last December, Stone posted an essay explaining why President Trump must act in pardoning Roger Ver.
“By pardoning Roger Ver, you won’t just be freeing one man—you’ll be declaring that America still stands for the dreamers, the builders, the innovators who dare to imagine a freer world,” he wrote at the time.
Stone told New York Times that he is not relying on his long-time relationship with Mr. Trump to help Ver.
“I have not lobbied any official in the executive branch of government including the president regarding his case or a pardon,” said Stone, adding that he was primarily hired to advise Ver’s legal counsel.
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