FTX Bankman-Fried Bond Co Signers Ordered Unsealed After Press Motions - But Stayed to Feb 7 For Appeal
Inner City Press requested the unsealing on January 3 - and now at the end of the month, motion granted. But will "Secretive Sam" Bankman-Fried appeal?
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 30 – Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, leading to his arrest in the Bahamas on December 12, and extradition to the US on December 21. He was released on $250 million bond - and reappeared on January 3, see below - with the requirement of co-signers.
But he wants them secret: "LETTER MOTION addressed to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan from Mark S. Cohen dated January 3, 2023 re: Request to Redact Names and Identifying Information for Certain Bail Sureties . Document filed by Samuel Bankman-Fried. (Cohen, Mark)." Six page letter on Patreon here -
Inner City Press nearly immediately opposed, here. That was Docket Number 31. Even after that, other defendants had their co-signers named in open court, like hedge funder and fraud defendant Neil Phillips, here.
On January 30, Judge Kaplan granted the motion to unseal - but stayed the order until February 7 to allow for an appeal. Inner City Press (Matthew Russell Lee, intervenor pro se) unloaded the order to DocumentCloud here
On January 11, Judge Kaplan gave Bankman-Fried until January 19 to respond: ORDER as to Samuel Bankman-Fried, Zixiao (Gary) Wang, Caroline Ellison: Any papers in response to Dkts 31 and 40 and any subsequent filings with respect to redaction of the names of sureties on appearance bonds for defendant Bankman-Fried shall be filed no later than January 19, 2023."
Bankman-Fried waited until past 8 pm on January 19 to file - and then doubled down on secrecy. Letter on Inner City Press' Patreon here. And now its DocumentCloud here. He through his lawyer who previously represented Ghislaine Maxwell argues this secrecy is "the normal course" - it is not. Only recently a hedge funder charge with manipulating the price of the South African rand had his co-signers' names and amounts read out in open court. See here. SBF wants special treatment, as he's used to getting from Congress and regulators. He says "the Government consents. Should it? Watch this site.
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