Defense Accuses DOJ of Providing 'Inaccurate' Information Regarding Sam Bankman-Fried's Laptop Access
Former FTX Executive Ryan Salame Faces Potential $1.5B Forfeiture Following Guilty Plea
Sam Bankman-Fried's Laptop Gets a Fresh Battery Upgrade, DOJ Says
Sam Bankman-Fried plans to assert that his actions in providing loans to FTX and Alameda executives, configuring Signal messages for automatic deletion, and establishing a group of North American entities were driven by his belief in "good faith." He justifies his actions by pointing out that he was adhering to the guidance of legal experts, including the law firm Fenwick & West.
On Wednesday, the defense team of the FTX founder released a letter outlining his intended approach of employing the "advice of counsel" strategy. In the letter, they stated that they will present evidence demonstrating the active participation of both in-house and Fenwick attorneys in the assessment and endorsement of decisions pertaining to these issues.
"Evidence of the defendant’s reliance on counsel is relevant to the question of intent and is not limited to situations where the defense can establish that the defendant formally sought out the advice of counsel, received legal advice, and followed the advice given," the letter said.
CoinCryptoUs has contacted Fenwick & West for a comment; however, an immediate response has not been received at this time.
The letter also raised concerns about the Department of Justice's request for additional information regarding the defense strategy. It pointed out that prosecutors had previously opposed the defense team's unsuccessful attempt to obtain information from the law firm.
On Tuesday, Bankman-Fried made an appearance in court where he entered a plea of not guilty in response to the most recent superseding indictment filed against him. This indictment includes charges of wire fraud and conspiracy. His trial is scheduled to commence in early October.
