Judges rejected former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s request for early release from prison. The decision also emphasized that SBF’s speech amounted to “witness replacement”.
“Not feasible in the long term”
A three-judge panel from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s request for early release.
In a decision dated September 21, Judges John Walker Jr., Denny Chin, and William Nardini denied SBF’s request for early release, which his team argued largely on “First Amendment” grounds. The decision stated that Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the SBF’s criminal case, “correctly determined” that Bankman-Fried’s speech amounted to witness switching.
“The record demonstrates that the district court comprehensively considered all relevant factors, including Bankman-Fried’s conduct that required the district court to repeatedly tighten conditions of release over time,” the decision states. It was reported that the district court considered issuing an order limiting SBF’s communication with the press, but concluded that this was not a viable solution in the long term.
