© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried exits United States Courtroom in New York Metropolis, New York, U.S., June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photograph
By Mrinmay Dey
(Reuters) – Attorneys for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried rejected prosecutors’ claims that his discussions with a New York Instances reporter amounted to witness tampering however agreed to just accept a gag order, they mentioned in a letter to the decide within the legal fraud case.
The letter, launched on Sunday, got here after prosecutors sought to bar Bankman-Fried and allies from making public statements that would intrude with the case.
Cryptocurrency alternate FTX, as soon as valued at $32 billion, filed for chapter safety in November because it was unable to repay depositors. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not responsible to fraud.
Within the letter, Bankman-Fried’s legal professional confirmed he had spoken with and supplied private paperwork to the New York Instances that included paperwork written by a former colleague, Caroline Ellison, who has cooperated with the U.S. authorities.
“Bankman-Fried didn’t violate the protecting order on this case, nor did he violate his bail situations, nor did he violate any regulation or rule governing his conduct,” Bankman-Fried’s lawyer Mark Cohen mentioned within the letter.
An article revealed by New York Instances titled “Contained in the Personal Writings of Caroline Ellison, Star Witness within the FTX Case” reported excerpts from Ellison’s private Google (NASDAQ:) paperwork from earlier than the collapse of FTX through which she spoke about being “fairly sad and overwhelmed” along with her job and feeling “harm/rejected” from her breakup with Bankman-Fried.
Ellison led Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Analysis hedge fund and has pleaded responsible to defrauding buyers and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. In December, Bankman-Fried mentioned he and Ellison had been in a relationship however gave no additional particulars.
