In a Friday letter to Judge Lewis Kaplan, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) asked for SBF’s bail to be revoked.
The DOJ claims that SBF made two attempts to tamper with witnesses. This includes giving the New York Times access to his ex-girlfriend’s diary writings. These FTX-related acts have sparked worries regarding witness intimidation.
SBF Attempted To Threaten Witnesses
According to the letter, DOJ claimed that SBF was freed under bond on December 22, 2022, while numerous adjustments to bail were later made at the defendant’s request.
It stated that the defendant first contacted the current General Counsel of FTX US, who might testify at the trial, on January 15, 2023. SBF allegedly spoke with the US attorney for FTX via email and the secure messaging service Signal.
SBF expressed his desire to get in touch with me once more and see if we can work on building a positive connection. He asked the attorney whether they may occasionally consult one another for resources or, at the very least, to check things out.
The DOJ emphasized how SBF has been using Singal to impede investigations while automatically deleting messages from communication channels. The court expressed worries on the possibility of witness tampering in light of the defendant’s actions, it was further said.
According to John Reed Stark, the former chief of the SEC Office of Internet Enforcement, Judge Kaplan has a few alternatives. He may decide to tighten the terms of SBF’s bail or even cancel it outright if he believes that SBF is trying to influence witnesses corruptly.
He explained that Judge Kaplan would have to make a difficult decision. The judge will indeed reiterate his earlier warnings if SBF can remain free.
