Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) accused the US Department of Justice (DOJ) of pressuring key witnesses in the FTX criminal case. In a fresh post on X, the former FTX CEO claimed that “new evidence” shows that the DOJ under the Biden administration threatened multiple witnesses into silence. This action might have led them to alter their testimony.
SBF suggests that his conviction should be vacated. He also calls for US District Judge Lewis Kaplan to recuse himself from reviewing the motion. SBF was sentenced to 25 years in prison following his conviction on fraud and conspiracy charges.
SBF alleges bias by Judge Kaplan
Former FTX CEO has alleged that Judge Kaplan demonstrated a pattern of bias in rulings. This involves himself, former FTX executive Ryan Salame, and US President Donald Trump. He argued that the judge “cannot rule fairly” on his latest request.
He attached a document that outlines silenced or excluded testimony related to FTX’s solvency during its November 2022 collapse. It also holds the financial position of affiliated trading firm Alameda Research and handles debtor data. SBF claims that the material could undermine the prosecution’s argument that customer funds were misused.
The document mentions the names of Daniel Chapsky, Ryan Salame, and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh. SBF points out that their testimony was either pressured or shaped in ways that harmed his defense.
Meanwhile, his fresh social media post received community notes. It shows that the account is not managed by SBF, and no documents or information shared here can be trusted.
Earlier, Cryptopolitan reported that SBF has appealed for a new trial over FTX’s fraud case. The filing shows that Bankman-Fried is representing himself. The motion was reportedly filed by his mother, Barbara Fried, and argues that new evidence justifies reopening the case.
FTX was not insolvent?
FTX’s Ryan Salame has also faced separate federal charges. He previously claimed he entered into a cooperation arrangement with prosecutors that he believed would protect his wife (Michelle Bond) from prosecution. However, Bond was later charged with allegedly receiving illegal campaign contributions during her congressional campaign.
SBF has always argued that FTX was not insolvent at the time of its collapse. He even brings up that customer assets were ultimately recoverable. The convict has maintained that the company’s later recovery efforts under bankruptcy proceedings support that position.
Judges had shown their skepticism about that line of defense. This happened during the appellate arguments in November. Circuit Judge Maria Araujo Kahn noted that the government’s case focused on misrepresentation to investors and customers about how funds were used. It was not solely about whether the exchange was technically solvent at the time of failure.
Bankman-Fried has continued to challenge his conviction through appeals and public statements. In a social media post, he has described himself as a victim of what he called the Biden administration’s “lawfare” campaign.
His claims have drawn sharp criticism online, with many users responding that he should remain imprisoned over losses tied to FTX’s collapse.
Source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/sbf-doj-pressured-witnesses-ftx/
