Prosecutors intend to use personal notes and diary entries from former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison as evidence against FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried at his criminal trial.
In an Aug. 14 filing, prosecutors said they would bring forward a collection of Ellison’s personal to-do lists and notes including one titled “Things Sam is Freaking Out About.”
The note summarizes conversations between Bankman-Fried and Ellison over his business concerns, fundraising, Alameda’s trading hedges and bad press about the hedge fund and FTX’s ties.
Other entries provide key insights into the day-to-day running of what prosecutors allege were fraudulent operations at FTX.
The trove of evidence includes a recording of Ellison taken from an all-hands meeting on Nov. 9, 2022 — two days before FTX and Alameda filed for bankruptcy.
In a meeting, an Alameda employee reportedly asked Ellison who else had been aware of the shortfall in FTX user funds, to which Ellison answered: “Yeah, I mean, I guess I talked about it with, like, Sam, Nishad, and Gary.”
Gary Wang is a co-founder of FTX while Nishad Singh was the exchange’s director of engineering. Both have pleaded guilty to fraud charges and are reportedly cooperating with prosecutors.
An employee pressed Ellisonon who made the decision to using FTXuser deposits to which Ellison reportedly answered:
“Um . . . Sam, I guess.”
Notably, the prosecution explained the horde of evidence including Ellison’s other diaries and personal notes doesn’t constitute hearsay as Ellison took notes to memorialize information and help carry out her role in the conspiracy.
Bankman-Fried’s lawyers responded to the prosecution’s motion in an Aug. 14 filing where they moved to exclude any evidence procured after July 1.
They argued prosecutors failed to produce specific information in a timely manner, including the contents of Wang’s laptop and Ellison’s encrypted Telegram chats. The defense claimed these delays had prevented them from adequately preparing for trial.
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”.