Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, has accepted a “gag order” preventing him from making comments that could interfere with his trial. The order was requested by the U.S. government on July 20 after they accused Bankman-Fried of attempting to discredit a former business partner and witness, Caroline Ellison, in an interview with the New York Times.
In a letter dated July 22, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers from Cohen & Gresser LLP denied the allegations but agreed to abide by the gag order as requested. A gag order is a legal directive issued by a court to restrict the dissemination of information to unauthorized third parties. In this case, Bankman-Fried will be prohibited from making public statements that could potentially influence the jury pool by sharing confidential information that could discredit a government witness.
However, the defense lawyers are seeking equal treatment and want the same gag order to be applied to all parties and potential witnesses involved in the criminal trial. This would include the U.S. government, former employees of FTX, FTX Debtor entities, Alameda Research, and others connected to the case.
Former FTX CEO defense team
The defense argues that there has been a hostile media environment surrounding their client ever since the collapse of the exchange. They particularly point out John J. Ray III, the current CEO of the FTX Debtor entities, who has allegedly made derogatory remarks about Bankman-Fried in public comments and filings related to the FTX bankruptcy proceedings.
The law firm representing Bankman-Fried claims that Ray’s repeated personal attacks on their client, which seem unrelated to his role in recovering assets for FTX creditors, have forced Bankman-Fried to respond. They contend that the U.S. government is applying a double standard by promoting articles that harm Bankman-Fried’s reputation while seeking to silence him.
Sam Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to several fraud charges related to his alleged involvement in the bankruptcy of FTX. The trial for these charges is scheduled to begin on October 3.
