Ulbricht operated the anonymous digital marketplace known as Silk Road when law enforcement arrested him. The pardon fulfills a campaign pledge Trump made to Ulbricht's Libertarian supporters.

Trump said those prosecuted for the attack on the U.S. Capitol had served long enough, and he sought to shift criticism to a set of preemptive pardons issued by former President Joe Biden.

The pardons will be done through an administration process to be developed by the Justice Department, administration officials told reporters; it will cover citizens and lawful permanent residents.

President Joe Biden is announcing he has granted the first three pardons of his term, including pardons for two people who were convicted on drug-related charges in Texas and Georgia but went on to become pillars in their communities.

The pardon allows Dontae Sharpe to apply for compensation for his wrongful conviction for first-degree murder. A witness against him said her claims were made up, based on what investigators told her.

Bannon and Lil Wayne were two of dozens of people granted clemency by Trump just hours before his terms comes to a close.

A document filed in federal court seems to show a probe into lobbying for a pardon and a related scheme to offer payment. Large swaths of the document, including names, are blacked out.