US DOJ Accuses SBF of Leaking Private Diary of Caroline Ellison

The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed a serious complaint against Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The DoJ accuses SBF of leaking the private diary of Caroline Ellison, who was not only his former business ally but also his romantic partner. This revelation has raised concerns about potential interference with a fair trial and has put SBF under scrutiny once again.

In a complaint filed on July 20, the DoJ claimed that Bankman-Fried attempted to discredit Caroline Ellison, who had become a crucial government witness in SBF’s case back in late 2022. The DoJ asserted that SBF shared Ellison’s personal writings with a reporter, leading to the publication of an article in The New York Times on July 20.

Violation of Fair Trial Principles

The complaint further alleges that the leaked documents were not part of the government’s discovery materials, suggesting that they came from SBF’s personal Google Drive account. Such actions could be in direct violation of U.S. federal rules of civil procedure, which prohibit lawyers and their agents from releasing non-public information that may interfere with a fair trial.

According to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, the publication of the article in a reputable newspaper like The New York Times, without identifying SBF as the source, gives a misleading appearance of legitimacy. 

“When the government learned this week that this article was forthcoming, defense counsel confirmed that the defendant had met with one of the article’s authors in person and had shared documents with him that were not part of the government’s discovery material.”

This can potentially taint prospective jurors and affect the right to a fair trial by an impartial jury. Williams urged the court to take action and enter an order to prevent extrajudicial statements that could undermine the integrity of the trial.

“Having the story appear in a reputable newspaper with a worldwide readership without identifying the defendant as the source lends a misleading patina of legitimacy to what would otherwise be naked advocacy, compounding the risk of tainting prospective jurors.”

The accusation against SBF comes amidst the aftermath of FTX’s collapse in mid-November 2022. The liquidity crisis of the company’s FTT token, coupled with the 2022 bear market and deeper issues related to the connection between FTX and Alameda Research, led to the downfall of the once major global cryptocurrency exchange.

Following the collapse of his crypto empire, SBF faced a series of legal challenges. By early December 2022, as many as seven lawsuits were filed against him. The charges include allegations of fraud, claims of illegal political donations, and bribes to the Chinese government. With the new allegations of leaking private documents, SBF’s legal situation has become even more complex and uncertain.