FTX Founder’s Expert Witnesses Face Exclusion in Fraud Trial

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a question connected Monday seeking to barroom each 7 of Sam Bankman-Fried’s projected adept witnesses from testifying successful the erstwhile FTX CEO’s upcoming fraud trial. Federal prosecutors cited issues with the witnesses’ reliability and accused them of improperly offering opinions connected Bankman-Fried’s authorities of mind.

DOJ Seeks to Bar All Expert Witnesses successful Former FTX CEO’s Fraud Trial

In the 39-page motion, the Department of Justice (DOJ) argued the witnesses’ opinions amounted to “an adept patina to inadmissible hearsay grounds astir the defendant’s expected deficiency of transgression cognition oregon intent.” Prosecutors took contented with British barrister Lawrence Akka’s planned grounds interpreting FTX’s presumption of service, saying it would confuse the assemblage and usurp the court’s relation successful instructing connected the law.

The DOJ deemed Indiana University prof Bradley Smith’s projected lecture connected run concern laws unnecessary and irrelevant. The authorities besides criticized the qualifications of fiscal services advisor Peter Vinella, noting his deficiency of crypto expertise. Further, prosecutors asserted that the adept disclosures for technologist Thomas Bishop and metadata specializer Brian Kim were deficient, providing lone vague descriptions alternatively than circumstantial opinions.

The DOJ contended that bundle technologist Joseph Pimbley’s grounds regarding problems with FTX’s interior systems was irrelevant. Stanford University prof Andrew Di Wu’s projected cryptocurrency marketplace overview was besides deemed unnecessary, with prosecutors arguing information witnesses could supply specified background.

Overall, the DOJ question argued that Sam Bankman-Fried‘s slate of experts would confuse jurors and connection grounds improperly aimed astatine suggesting the FTX laminitis lacked transgression intent. Prosecutors asked the tribunal to preclude the witnesses oregon astatine minimum clasp pre-trial Daubert hearings evaluating their expertise. Jury enactment for Bankman-Fried’s proceedings connected fraud and conspiracy charges is slated to statesman successful October.

What bash you deliberation astir the DOJ’s statement to barroom Bankman-Fried’s radical of experts? Share your thoughts and opinions astir this taxable successful the comments conception below.