A federal judge is scheduled to consider Sam Bankman-Fried’s defense response to a recently disclosed set of evidence submitted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) on August 25th. Bankman-Fried’s legal team reported the emergence of an additional 4 million pages of discovery less than six weeks prior to his trial, set for October 3rd.
According to Bankman-Fried’s attorneys:
“We further object to the Government’s production, just yesterday, of an additional 4 million pages of discovery. The Government cannot be allowed to dump millions of pages on the defense less than six weeks before trial, […] For the reasons already discussed in our motions in limine, ECF No. 206, the Government should be precluded from using any such evidence at trial.”
Judge Lewis Kaplan issued an order on August 26th, calling for the government’s reply to letters from Bankman-Fried’s attorneys concerning his appropriate access to discovery materials. The order also encompassed a plea to prevent the government from utilizing evidence generated after July 1st.
This ruling grants Bankman-Fried’s legal representatives the opportunity to present their arguments during a videoconference hearing scheduled for August 30th.
Bankman-Fried stands accused of diverting user funds for investments, personal expenditures, and political campaign contributions. A total of 12 criminal charges have been lodged against the former FTX CEO, with trials set to commence in October 2023 and March 2024.
In the preceding week, Bankman-Fried entered a plea of not guilty to charges of fraud and money laundering as detailed in an updated indictment from prosecutors. During the hearing, his legal team advocated for improved conditions for him at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he has been held since his bail was revoked on August 11th.
According to his attorneys, Bankman-Fried has been constrained to a diet of bread, peanut butter, and water due to the prison’s lack of vegan meal options. His representation also expressed concerns about his medical requirements, revealing that he has not received his prescribed medication since his detention.
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