Bankman-Fried Prosecutors Have Critical Evidence Alleging His Bribes

Key Points:

• Sam Bankman-Fried prosecutors can discuss his political donations in his fraud trial.
• Evidence of Bankman-Fried’s alleged bribery attempt is permitted as it relates to his motive.
• The defense cannot highlight Bankman-Fried’s charitable work in court.

A U.S. judge has ruled that Sam Bankman-Fried prosecutors can introduce evidence of political donations made by him, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, in his upcoming trial.

Judge Permits Mention of Bribes Alleged by Bankman-Fried Prosecutors

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan stated that these donations are relevant to the fraud charges Bankman-Fried is facing, which involve the alleged misappropriation of billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits that Bankman-Fried prosecutors mentioned earlier.

According to Judge Kaplan, the evidence of Bankman-Fried’s use of customer funds for political contributions directly relates to the wire fraud scheme, establishing the defendant’s motive and alleged fraudulent intent.

Additionally, the judge approved the prosecution’s request to present evidence that Bankman-Fried attempted to bribe a Chinese official to access frozen funds worth $1 billion. While no charges have been filed in relation to this incident, the judge deemed it relevant to the case as it could shed light on his motives for misappropriating customer funds.

Philanthropy Evidence Barred in High-Profile Case

However, in a setback for the defense, Judge Kaplan ruled that Bankman-Fried cannot present evidence of his philanthropic work and charitable donations to the jury, as it may potentially lead to jury confusion.

Furthermore, the judge sided with the prosecution in allowing the introduction of evidence from FTX‘s television commercials, dismissing Bankman-Fried’s argument that they should be excluded.

Bankman-Fried initially faced charges related to campaign finance violations, but those charges were dropped following his extradition from the Bahamas. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include fraud and conspiracy. The trial is scheduled to commence on October 3, 2023.

Coincu will continue to update the situation related to Sam Bankman-Fried, you can find out more information through this article.

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