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Ex-FTX CEO moved to transit facility after interview

Officials with the Federal Bureau of Prisons have moved former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried to a transit facility days after right-wing political commentator Tucker Carlson interviewed him.

As of March 27, the Federal Bureau of Prisons website showed Bankman-Fried was being housed at the Federal Transfer Center (FTC) in Oklahoma City, suggesting that he may be moved from the facility where he largely spent the majority of his time awaiting trial and moving forward with an appeal of his conviction.

Carlson remotely interviewed SBF from the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn on March 5 — a reportedly unsanctioned event that resulted in the former FTX CEO being sent to solitary confinement. 

Ex-FTX CEO moved to transit facility after interview

Former FTX CEO’s status as of March 27. Source: US Bureau of Prisons

The reason for the move to the Oklahoma transit facility was unclear. After Bankman-Fried’s 2023 conviction on seven felony charges and 2024 sentencing to 25 years in prison, a federal judge recommended that the former CEO remain in the New York area to assist during his appeals process. He was briefly transferred to FTC Oklahoma City in May 2024 before being returned to MDC Brooklyn.

Related: SBF always played both sides of the aisle despite new Republican plea

Bankman-Fried has been housed in various facilities since a judge revoked his bail in August 2023 following allegations the former CEO attempted to intimidate witnesses before his criminal trial. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, he is set to be released in November 2044 but could serve less time based on his behavior in prison.

Interviews from prison

Though SBF was essentially silent on social media and public statements during his criminal trial, he recently began giving interviews to conservative media outlets, including Carlson and the New York Sun. Reports have suggested that reaching out to conservative audiences was an attempt by Bankman-Fried to appeal to US President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers, hinting at a federal pardon.

A representative for the US Bureau of Prisons reportedly told The New York Times that SBF’s interview with Carlson was not approved. The former FTX CEO spoke to the right-wing commentator the day before his 33rd birthday, claiming, “I don’t think I was a criminal.” He also suggested that former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame — also in prison for his role in the exchange’s downfall — had been charged with “totally bogus crimes,” potentially because of his political leanings. 

Trump has not made any public statement suggesting he was considering a pardon for Bankman-Fried. In one of his first acts as president, he pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who attended a joint session of Congress after his release.

Magazine: The $2,500 doco about FTX collapse on Amazon Prime… with help from mom

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Why Boris’s best mate is off to Reform

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Why Boris's best mate is off to Reform

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈       

Former Conservative chairman and friend of Boris Johnson – Sir Jake Berry – is defecting to Reform UK, causing more problems for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

On today’s episode, Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy discuss if his defection will divide parts of Reform policy.

Elsewhere, the Anglo-French summit gets under way, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hoping to announce a migration deal with French President Emmanuel Macron to deter small boat crossings.

Plus, chatter around Whitehall that No10 are considering a pre-summer reshuffle, but will it have any value?

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Australia to test CBDCs, stablecoins in next stage of crypto play

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Australia to test CBDCs, stablecoins in next stage of crypto play

Australia to test CBDCs, stablecoins in next stage of crypto play

The trial is part of Project Acacia, an initiative from the RBA exploring how digital money and tokenization could support financial markets in Australia.

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Starmer and Macron agree need for ‘new deterrent’ to stop small boat crossings

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Starmer and Macron agree need for 'new deterrent' to stop small boat crossings

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have agreed the need for a “new deterrent” to deter small boats crossings in the Channel, Downing Street has said.

The prime minister met Mr Macron this afternoon as part of the French president’s state visit to the UK, which began on Tuesday.

High up the agenda for the two leaders is the need to tackle small boat crossings in the Channel, which Mr Macron said yesterday was a “burden” for both the UK and France.

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The small boats crisis is a pressing issue for the prime minister, given that more than 20,000 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK in the first six months of this year – a rise of almost 50% on the number crossing in 2024.

Sir Keir is hoping he can reach a deal for a one-in one-out return treaty with France, ahead of the UK-France summit on Thursday, which will involve ministerial teams from both nations.

The deal would see those crossing the Channel illegally sent back to France in exchange for Britain taking in any asylum seeker with a family connection in the UK.

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However, it is understood the deal is still in the balance, with some EU countries unhappy about France and the UK agreeing on a bilateral deal.

French newspaper Le Monde reports that up to 50 small boat migrants could be sent back to France each week, starting from August, as part of an agreement between Sir Keir and Mr Macron.

A statement from Downing Street said: “The prime minister met the French President Emmanuel Macron in Downing Street this afternoon.

“They reflected on the state visit of the president so far, agreeing that it had been an important representation of the deep ties between our two countries.

“Moving on to discuss joint working, they shared their desire to deepen our partnership further – from joint leadership in support of Ukraine to strengthening our defence collaboration and increasing bilateral trade and investment.”

It added: “The leaders agreed tackling the threat of irregular migration and small boat crossings is a shared priority that requires shared solutions.

“The prime minister spoke of his government’s toughening of the system in the past year to ensure rules are respected and enforced, including a massive surge in illegal working arrests to end the false promise of jobs that are used to sell spaces on boats.

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Can PM turn diplomatic work with Macron into action on migration?
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“The two leaders agreed on the need to go further and make progress on new and innovative solutions, including a new deterrent to break the business model of these gangs.”

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, seized on the statement to criticise Labour for scrapping the Conservatives’ Rwanda plan, which the Tories claim would have sent asylum seekers “entering the UK illegally” to Rwanda.

He said in an online post: “We had a deterrent ready to go, where every single illegal immigrant arriving over the Channel would be sent to Rwanda.

“But Starmer cancelled this before it had a chance to start.

“Now, a year later, he’s realised he made a massive mistake. That’s why numbers have surged and this year so far has been the worst in history for illegal channel crossings.

“Starmer is weak and incompetent and he’s lost control of our borders.”

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