SBF Met With Clinton And New York Governor Before FTX Went Bankrupt

Key Points:

• Former FTX CEO SBF met with Clinton’s packed September 2022 schedule unveils high-profile meetings with ex-President Clinton, NY Governor Hochul, and Saudi officials.
• Testimonies by ex-FTX executives detail Bankman-Fried’s political donation direction and his intricate political influence campaign as highlighted in Michael Lewis’ “Going Infinite.”
• FTX’s collapse, Bankman-Fried’s fraud indictment, and subsequent arrest, alongside guilty pleas from former colleagues, underscore the gravity of the legal battle currently unfolding in New York.

Former FTX CEO SBF met with Clinton’s intricate web of high-level meetings, just months before the exchange’s eventual collapse, has come to light during the ongoing trial in the New York Southern District court.

Richard Busick, an FBI special agent, revealed details about SBF met with Clinton’s jam-packed September 2022 calendar, shedding light on his significant political ties and activities.

Busick disclosed that Bankman-Fried’s phone data from June 2021 to November 2022 indicated a flurry of engagements with influential figures. Among the notable mentions, an encounter with former President Bill Clinton on September 20 at a New York City Hilton hotel caught the attention of Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Kudla. Additionally, a meeting with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul at an unconfirmed location was noted on September 16.

The investigation further uncovered SBF met with Clinton’s meetings with top Saudi officials, including Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan and Khalid A. Al-Falih, around the same time. Notably, a prior meeting with New York City mayor Eric Adams was also highlighted during the trial.

Legal Fallout and Ongoing Trial

While the specific reasons behind these meetings remain undisclosed, the emerging narrative of SBF met with Clinton’s extensive political influence campaign has begun to take shape. Earlier revelations by Nishad Singh, the former Head of Engineering at FTX, underscored Bankman-Fried’s involvement in directing political donations. These revelations have found resonance in Michael Lewis’ recent book, “Going Infinite,” where the depth of Bankman-Fried’s political maneuvering has been explored.

The fallout of FTX’s liquidity crisis in November 2022 culminated in the exchange filing for bankruptcy, followed by a string of legal actions. Bankman-Fried’s subsequent arrest in the Bahamas and extradition to the U.S. came in the wake of a grand jury indictment for fraud. Co-conspirators, including former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison and FTX co-founder and ex-CTO Gary Wang, have also faced charges. Nishad Singh, having pled guilty two months later, has joined the ranks of prosecution witnesses in the trial against Bankman-Fried. As the trial progresses, the full extent of Bankman-Fried’s alleged wrongdoings and political entanglements continues to unfold in the courtroom.

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