Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos, has turned to U.S. President Donald Trump for a potential pardon that could see her freed from prison nearly six years ahead of her scheduled release. Holmes, who was convicted on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy in 2022, is currently serving an 11-1/4-year sentence.
A petition to reduce her sentence was filed last year, but no decision has been made, according to the Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney. The federal appeals court upheld her conviction and sentence, citing her falsified claims to investors about Theranos' technology from 2010 to 2015.
Theranos, at its peak, was valued at $9 billion, and Elizabeth Holmes was once a billionaire on paper. Should Trump extend clemency, Holmes would still owe restitution. However, a full pardon would relieve her of the $452 million repayment obligation. The White House and Holmes' legal team have not yet commented on the request.
