On December 6, 2024, political activist and podcast host Charlie Kirk dedicated an episode of his show to the case of Roger Ver, the so-called 'Bitcoin Jesus,' who faces U.S. tax evasion charges over his exit tax obligations. Ver appeared in a silent protest with tape reading 'censored' over his mouth, while Tracy Thurman, campaign lead at freerogernow.org, laid out the legal absurdities and government overreach that she says warrant immediate intervention from President-elect Donald Trump.
The Absurdity of the Exit Tax
Thurman explained that when Ver renounced his U.S. citizenship, he was required to pay an 'exit tax' based on a hypothetical same-day sale of all assets. Given Ver’s massive early Bitcoin holdings — worth billions today — a real sale would have crashed the market. 'The government wants Zillow value for everyone’s home if everybody sold on the same day — that’s what they are asking from Roger,' she said. She also highlighted the bizarre charge for 2017, a year when Ver was no longer a U.S. citizen, asking: 'Why on Earth would he owe those taxes?'
Attack on Attorney-Client Privilege
A key point of concern was the 2017 raid on Ver’s attorneys' offices by armed federal agents. Thurman noted that the government seized documents and attempted to use them against Ver, effectively undermining attorney-client privilege. 'That should terrify every American,' she said. Ver had hired top tax accountants and lawyers to ensure full compliance, yet the government pursued a scorched-earth strategy.
Kirk Calls for an End to Lawfare
Kirk fully agreed that the lawfare must stop. He announced plans to tweet directly at Trump, urging the incoming president to issue a pardon or instruct the DOJ to drop the charges. 'Trump himself was once a victim of lawfare,' Kirk said. 'A pardon, lifting of charges, whatever it takes — time for a clean slate, and to free Roger.' The show directed viewers to freerogernow.org to sign a petition supporting Ver’s cause.