Almost three years after the collapse of Crypto Exchange FTX, the battles of the courtroom linked to its leaders and their associates are still taking place. This week, Michelle Bond, spouse of the former C-PDG of the digital markets of the FTX Ryan Salame, will return to the court for a proof hearing in her criminal case.
In a file Sunday before the American district court of the South District of New York (SDNY), the Bond legal team asked a federal judge to allow him to testify despite the objections of prosecutors.
Prosecutors argued on Friday that it was unlikely that Bond could propose relevant testimonies to the advisor to the advocacy of Salame involving allegations of fraud to financing the campaign. He is currently serving a prison sentence for his role in the fall of the company
The salam advocacy agreement is at the heart of his case for alleged violations of financing the campaign. Prosecutors allege that Salame ordered $ 400,000 in FTX funds sent to his campaign.
Bond was accused of conspiracy in order to cause contributions to the illegal campaign, to provoke and accept excessive campaign contributions, to provoke and receive an illegal contribution from the company and to provoke and receive a contribution of conduits in August 2024. It pleaded not guilty to all accusations.
“The government has no reason to prevent Ms. Bond preventive from testifying because her testimony is neither redundant nor non -relevant,” said her lawyers. “The state of mind of Mrs. Bond and her husband by concluding the adviser on advocacy are directly relevant for questions before the court (…”
As one of the five accused included in the indictment of former FTX and Alameda research leaders, Salame pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to make illegal political contributions and fraud the federal electoral commission and conspiracy to exploit a money transmission company without license.
He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, where he reported in October 2024.
After the advocacy of salaria guilt, his lawyers tried to leave his agreement with the American prosecutors, saying that the agreement was subject to that they do not pursue criminal accusations against bond. He finally abandoned the complaint, saying that Bond would tackle the question in the context of his case.
In relation: The questions of the judge if the former FTX leader was overwhelmed in a guilty plea
Back to court after months
The evidence scheduled for Thursday will mark the first time that the deposit will return to court after months of documents focused on the Salame agreement with the government.
In addition to obliging to take a stand, his lawyers asked the former assistant prosecutor of the United States Danielle Sassoon. Sassoon was the main prosecutor in the case of government against the former CEO of the FTX, Sam Bankman, and four other executives, including Salame.
Although Sassoon resigned in February after the Ministry of Justice ordered him to suspend a case against the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, the Bond lawyers asked that she seems to speak of “any promise or incentive made to Mr. Salame to plead guilty”.
American lawyers did not oppose the request, but asked that Bond lawyers provide “documentary evidence” or testimonies related to the advocacy agreement.
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