The former CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, has launched a new public campaign on the social media platform X. Bankman-Fried claims that he has been targeted for political reasons and alleges irregularities in his trial, prompting him to demand a retrial.
Allegations of Judicial Impartiality and Gag Orders
In his statements on X, Sam Bankman-Fried suggests that both he and former U.S. President Donald Trump have been subject to a “gag order,” or a restriction on speaking. He further accuses the presiding Judge Lewis Kaplan of partiality and the prosecutors of abusing the law.
However, court records indicate that these comparisons do not reflect reality. Judge Kaplan only imposed limitations on behavior within the courtroom in Trump’s civil cases. Public speech restrictions were decisions made by other judges in different cases. Bankman-Fried’s gag order was reportedly issued because he frequently violated pre-trial supervision rules.
Financial Assertions and Defense Arguments
Bankman-Fried defends that FTX was always solvent and dismisses allegations of embezzling customer funds. This assertion was also a central point in his defense, but the jury determined that customer assets were misappropriated and that the company’s financial status had been misrepresented.
U.S. federal courts have reiterated that assets recovered after a financial institution’s collapse do not necessarily prove that the organization was solvent at the time of its downfall.
Prosecutors and Political Accusations
Bankman-Fried further asserts that Trump dismissed Danielle Sassoon, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and one of the prosecutors in his case. Nonetheless, public documents reveal that Sassoon resigned voluntarily after failing to follow a Justice Department directive in another case. There is no direct link between her leaving and the FTX case.
Moreover, he accuses the Biden administration of acting against him due to his opposition to cryptocurrency regulations and donations to Republican parties. However, there is no official record in the case files indicating that political donations or lobbying efforts have influenced the judicial process.
Records also reveal Bankman-Fried as one of the contributors to President Joe Biden’s election campaign, with an over $40 million donation to the Democratic Party during the 2022 elections.
Additionally, allegations have surfaced that former FTX executive Ryan Salame was pressured into accepting some charges and that evidence in his favor was withheld. Salame accepted charges related to campaign financing and money transfer, but there has been no illicitly withheld evidence found during court proceedings.
