Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of Theranos, submitted a request to President Donald Trump last year for an early release from prison.
Holmes was convicted in 2022 and began serving an 11-year sentence in 2023 at a federal prison in Texas. Her current release date is set for December 2031. A granted commutation would allow for her release approximately six years early.
Last year, a US appeals court upheld the convictions of Holmes and former Theranos President Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, along with the $452 million restitution ordered to victims.
Holmes founded Theranos, which was once valued at $9 billion, with the stated aim of innovating the healthcare industry through blood testing technology. The company attracted significant investment and prominent partners.
An investigation by the Wall Street Journal raised questions regarding the company's testing methods. In 2018, Holmes and Balwani faced charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, to which they pleaded not guilty.
Holmes, 41, is currently serving her sentence at Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a minimum-security facility near Houston. The White House typically refrains from commenting on clemency requests, with the final decision residing with the President.
Recently, posts have appeared on Holmes’ X account, including content related to Trump's healthcare initiatives. The account indicates that posts are “mostly my words, posted by others,” without specifying who manages the account. A recent post stated, “We are continuing to fight for my innocence and we know the truth can not be repressed for ever (sic)."
During his previous term, Trump issued several notable pardons, such as to Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht.