The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has recently requested a federal judge to revoke the bond of Sam Bankman-Fried, the controversial founder of FTX. This move comes in response to Bankman-Fried’s alleged disclosure of the private diaries of Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, to a New York Times journalist.
DoJ’s Submission to Federal Judge Against Bankman-Fried
On Friday, the DoJ filed a written submission to a federal judge in a bid to revoke Bankman-Fried’s bond. This submission follows a hearing held in a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.
Alleged Intimidation Attempts
The DoJ’s allegations against SBF are severe. A week prior, they accused him of leaking Ellison’s private diary. Sassoon informed the court that Bankman-Fried made attempts to “intimidate” Ellison, which included making 100 calls to the NYT reporter.
According to the DoJ, SBF’s sharing of Ellison’s diary with the NYT exceeds his right to defend himself publicly.
Alleged Corruption and Persuasion
The leaking of Ellison’s private writings by the defendant is seen by the DoJ as an attempt to intimidate and corruptly persuade Ellison regarding her upcoming trial testimony. This is also viewed as an effort to influence or prevent the testimony of other potential trial witnesses.
