On Feb 23rd, a judge unsealed a 12-count indictment against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. Authorities have charged Bankman-Fried with multiple offenses, including bank fraud, wire fraud, and securities fraud. The authorities have alleged that he engaged in illegal activities by operating an unlicensed money transfer business. In addition, he has been accused of conspiring to make illegal political donations and defraud the Federal Election Commission.
Bankman-Fried, CEO of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, has been accused of disguising his political contributions. The authorities claim he did so through other FTX executives. They allege that he did this to avoid being associated with any political party or candidate.
The indictment further alleges that Bankman-Fried worked with others to deceive a bank by misrepresenting the purpose of an account. The people running the cryptocurrency exchange supposedly used an account for trading and market making, but they actually used it to receive and transmit customer funds.
Alleged Campaign Finance Scheme
The authorities filed the unsealed charges in federal court in Manhattan, implicating two other individuals in the campaign finance scheme. Ryan Salame and Nishad Singh allegedly donated $70.5 million during the 2022 midterm elections. This made them the top political contributors in the FTX network.
Authorities have implicated both Salame and Singh in the campaign finance scheme. Bankman-Fried also gave $5.6 million during the election cycle. Authorities have not charged either Salame or Singh, and lawyers for both individuals did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment.
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The indictment accuses Bankman-Fried of misusing billions of dollars in customer deposits to support his ventures. This included speculative investments, charitable donations, lobbying for cryptocurrency policies in Washington, and enriching himself. As Bankman-Fried’s case moves forward, the new charges could create hurdles for the fundraising efforts of both the Republican and Democratic parties. This could have an impact on their preparations for the 2024 presidential election cycle.
Bankman-Fried, a crypto trader and founder of FTX, faces charges of market manipulation and other offenses related to illegal trading practices. He denies all allegations and awaits trial while under house arrest with a bond of $250 million. He is awaiting an October trial, and his spokesperson has declined to comment on the matter. Damian Williams, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said, “We are hard at work and will remain so until justice is done.
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