Lawyers representing former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, or SBF, have reportedly not asked for a different trial date in order to prepare, but a federal judge has offered a limited window to do so.
According to an Aug. 30 thread on X (formerly Twitter) from Inner City Press, Judge Lewis Kaplan said the deadline for requesting a jury based on Bankman-Fried’s trial start date was Sept. 7. SBF’s lawyers reportedly said they “chose an aggressive date” in which the former FTX CEO would have the opportunity to clear his name but did not entirely rule out requesting more time to prepare as a result of alleged issues with access to discovery materials.
“If the defendant feels he needs a postponement, they can ask for it,” said Kaplan, according to the thread. “I’m not saying I would necessarily grant it. They’d have to demonstrate a need — not just recount the number of documents. There’s got to be more meat on those bones.”
OK – now US v. Bankman-Fried, oral argument about SBF’s complaints about discovery documents, strength of Internet during his twice-weekly courthouse visits, & desire to get back out to Palo Alto. Inner City Press (book Crypto Creeps) will live tweet, thread below https://t.co/uUXBcLMej9pic.twitter.com/Fo1BxIWdsC
The Aug. 30 hearing focused on motions from SBF’s lawyers requesting temporary release for the former FTX CEO in order to prepare for his Oct. 3 criminal trial. Kaplan revoked Bankman-Fried’s bail on Aug. 11, leading to his remand at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His legal team has argued the lack of consistent access to the internet and documents related to his case was inadequate for trial preparation.
“[Bankman-Fried] is able to review discovery 70 hours a week,” reportedly said Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon. “Counsel can visit him 7 days a week. This is not a pro se defendant — he has many lawyers and experts, who prepare around the clock.”
Kaplan said he would accept motions from SBF’s defense team and prosecutors by Sept. 1 and rule on them by the following week — Sept. 4, Labor Day, is a national holiday in the United States. These filings included Bankman-Fried’s defense strategy of arguing he largely acted “in good faith” on advice of previous counsel in regard to his alleged actions at FTX and Alameda Research.
Bankman-Fried faces 12 criminal charges, which will be spread across two trials scheduled to begin on Oct. 2, 2023 and March 11, 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield has resigned from the Labour Party.
The 53-year-old MP is the first to jump ship since the general election and in her resignation letter criticised the prime minister for accepting thousands of pounds worth of gifts.
She told Sir Keir Starmer the reason for leaving now is “the programme of policies you seem determined to stick to”, despite their unpopularity with the electorate and MPs.
In her letter she accused the prime minister and his top team of “sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice” which are “off the scale”.
“I’m so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party,” she said.
Since December 2019, the prime minister received £107,145 in gifts, benefits, and hospitality – a specific category in parliament’s register of MPs’ interests.
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Ms Duffield, who has previously clashed with the prime minister on gender issues, attacked the government for pursuing “cruel and unnecessary” policies as she resigned the Labour whip.
She criticised the decision to keep the two-child benefit cap and means-test the winter fuel payment, and accused the prime minister of “hypocrisy” over his acceptance of free gifts from donors.
“Since the change of government in July, the revelations of hypocrisy have been staggering and increasingly outrageous,” she said.
“I cannot put into words how angry I and my colleagues are at your total lack of understanding about how you have made us all appear.”
Ms Duffield also mentioned the recent “treatment of Diane Abbott”, who said she thought she had been barred from standing by Labour ahead of the general election, before Sir Keir said she would be allowed to defend her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat for the party.
Her relationship with the Labour leadership has long been strained and her decision to quit the party comes after seven other Labour MPs were suspended for rebelling by voting for a motion calling for the two-child benefit cap to be abolished.
“Someone with far-above-average wealth choosing to keep the Conservatives’ two-child limit to benefit payments which entrenches children in poverty, while inexplicably accepting expensive personal gifts of designer suits and glasses costing more than most of those people can grasp – this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour prime minister,” she said.
Ms Duffield said she will continue to represent her constituents as an independent MP, “guided by my core Labour values”.