For anyone not tracking on Roger Ver’s story, just think of him as another Ross Ulbricht: An extremely bright, young man, vindictively persecuted by a tyrannical federal government for daring to promote ideals of freedom.

Here’s a quick backstory: In 2011, Ver became a vocal proponent of cryptocurrency as a way to “undermine the war machines” and “the power of those who would use violence to control others.” He was of course speaking to the wisdom offered by Ron Paul when he wrote this in End the Fed: “It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking.” 

He routinely called on people to “stop using the U.S. Dollar, stop using euros, stop using yen” because there was an “alternative” that would allow people to buy what they wanted without needing permission from a government or politicians. Of course, this put a target on his back, so in 2014, he renounced his U.S. citizenship, paid his exit taxes, and left. Yet, in April 2024, Ver was arrested in Spain at the behest of the U.S. federal government to answer to charges of tax evasion, and he’s been fighting extradition ever since. According to the DOJ press release, the U.S. government wants around $48 million it thinks it’s owed ten years after Ver gave up citizenship, and they’re trying to throw him in jail for 109 years if he doesn’t pay up.

Now despite all that, Elon Musk had the audacity to argue against a pardon for Ver:

Roger Ver gave up his US citizenship. No pardon for Ver. Membership has its privileges.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 26, 2025

This is a horrible take, and it’s going to be hard to come back from this one.

If Ver doesn’t have “membership” in the U.S., then why is he facing extradition to a U.S. court over alleged tax evasion? In what world would someone without citizenship “membership” owe a foreign government nearly fifty million dollars in taxes, and face more than a century in jail if he doesn’t pay? As someone in the comments noted: “Apparently non-membership continues to come with membership fees.”

And, the best take yet:

‘Dont [sic] leave us if you want protection.’ - Government 

‘What do I need protection from?’ - Roger Ver

‘The things we’re going to do to you if you leave us.’  - Government

Pardoning Roger Ver, and ending the lawfare to which he’s been subjected for more than two decades—he spent time in jail for bogus charges from the ATF—is the only moral and just option.

Here’s Ver’s story—it’s twenty minutes long, but worth the watch:

For decades, I've been terrorized by rogue U.S. government agents who hate American freedom.
This is my story: pic.twitter.com/NEetn1b3r4

— Roger Ver (@rogerkver) January 27, 2025

Image from X.