The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a court complaint against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, alleging that he leaked the contents of Caroline Ellison’s private diary to a New York Times reporter.
Ellison is a former colleague of Bankman-Fried and headed Alameda Research, a sister company of the collapsed crypto exchange. She was also charged for her role in the implosion that befell the companies but agreed to cooperate with the prosecution and is seen as a key witness in the DOJ’s case against the former FTX chief.
The government’s complaint states Bankman-Fried’s action was an attempt to discredit Ellison and “cast Ellison in a poor light, and advance his defense through the press”. The DOJ also claims the leak was an extrajudicial move, which could potentially interfere with the jury and witnesses lined up to testify against him.
In January, the prosecution said he had tried to influence an FTX.US official. The DOJ has requested the court to issue orders limiting extrajudicial statements that could interfere with the jury and witnesses.
SBF, once a crypto prodigy and Capitol darling, is currently under house arrest and faces a long prison sentence if convicted. His trial is set to begin in October.