Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana has been making headlines recently for his tough questioning of prospective Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Paul Atkins. During the Senate Banking Committee’s March 27 nomination hearing, Kennedy directed a series of questions about former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried towards Atkins, probing him about donations made by Bankman-Fried’s family to Stanford University.

Kennedy’s line of questioning was sparked by reports that Bankman-Fried’s parents were seeking a pardon for their son from recently-elected US President Donald Trump. This news, coupled with Bankman-Fried’s high-profile pardon of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, has raised concerns about potential double standards in the American justice system.

Kennedy made it clear that he expects the SEC to take action to prevent any potential pardons on behalf of Bankman-Fried, stating, “There should not be two standards of law and punishment for people in America. And every time you come to this committee, I am going to pounce on you like a ninja to find out what the SEC has done because I don’t think the SEC has done a damn thing.”

However, experts believe that Bankman-Fried is unlikely to secure a pardon for several reasons. Unlike Ulbricht, Bankman-Fried’s actions have resulted in significant financial losses for investors, making his case less sympathetic. Additionally, the public campaign promise made by then-candidate Trump to pardon Ulbricht sets his case apart.

Despite this, Bankman-Fried has attempted to cozy up to Republicans in several interviews with independent media outlets. However, these attempts have backfired, with Bankman-Fried being thrown into solitary confinement and moved to a prison facility in Oklahoma following an unauthorized interview with Tucker Carlson.

The controversy surrounding Bankman-Fried’s potential pardon highlights the ongoing debate about double standards in the American justice system. As the SEC continues to face pressure to take action against Bankman-Fried and his family, it remains to be seen how this situation will unfold.