FTX’s Bankman-Fried seeks gag order for all witnesses in criminal case

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has agreed to a gag bid preventing him from making comments to 3rd parties that whitethorn interfere with his proceedings — but argues different imaginable witnesses should beryllium gagged arsenic well, including existent FTX CEO John Ray.

The gag bid against Sam Bankman-Fried was initially requested connected July 20, erstwhile the U.S. authorities accused the FTX laminitis of attempting to interfere with a just proceedings by publicly discrediting erstwhile concern partner and witnesser Caroline Ellison successful an interrogation with the  New York Times.

In a July 22 letter to United States District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of New York, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers Cohen & Gresser LLP denied the accusations but agreed to judge a gag bid as requested.

A gag bid is simply a ineligible bid often issued by a tribunal to restrict accusation oregon remark from being made nationalist oregon passed onto immoderate unauthorized 3rd party. In this case, Bankman-Fried volition nary longer beryllium capable to marque comments that publically discredit a authorities witnesser by sharing confidential accusation that whitethorn taint the assemblage pool.

Legal filing by Cohen & Gresser LLP to District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan successful New York. Source: Courtlistener.

However, successful accepting the relief, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers besides privation the aforesaid gag bid to beryllium applied to each parties and witnesses that could beryllium progressive successful his transgression trial.

“We respectfully petition that immoderate specified relief, however, should use not conscionable to Mr. Bankman-Fried, but arsenic to each ‘parties and witnesses’ — namely, the Government and each imaginable witnesses successful this case.”

This would see the U.S. government, erstwhile employees of cryptocurrency speech FTX, FTX Debtor entities, Alameda Research and different imaginable witnesses progressive successful the case, according to the attorneys.

Explaining the request, the lawyers said determination has been a “toxic media environment” surrounding their lawsuit since the collapse of the exchange, noting that FTX CEO John Ray was 1 of the bigger culprits.

“Most notably, the existent CEO of the FTX Debtor entities, John J. Ray III, who has routinely (and gratuitously) attacked and vilified Mr. Bankman-Fried successful his nationalist comments and filings successful the FTX bankruptcy proceedings,” they said.

“Mr. Ray’s repeated advertisement hominem attacks connected Mr. Bankman-Fried — which person precise small bash with his relation recovering assets for FTX creditors and look much directed towards publically vilifying Mr. Bankman-Fried. [This] has near Mr. Bankman-Fried with small prime but to respond,” the lawyers added.

Related: Sam Bankman-Fried’s member planned to bargain land and prep for apocalypse: tribunal filing

The instrumentality steadfast argued that the U.S. authorities was applying a treble modular by touting respective articles that sought to harm SBF’s reputation. This formed the ground of their petition for the aforesaid gag bid for SBF.

SBF pleaded not blameworthy to a bid of fraud charges for the alleged relation helium played starring to the bankruptcy of FTX. The proceedings for SBF’s fraud charges begins connected October 3.

Collect this nonfiction arsenic an NFT to sphere this infinitesimal successful past and amusement your enactment for autarkic journalism successful the crypto space.

Magazine: Web3 Gamer: ‘Ethical’ SBF crippled axed, Web3 games sign-up process sucks, Tomb Chaser