Bankman-Fried lawyers say they will pay for technical expert to aid judge on bail terms
Former FTX chief executive Samuel Bankman-Fried is seen here in New York City on February 9. Lawyers for Bankman-Fried agreed to pay for a security expert to help the federal judge overseeing his fraud case navigate technology issues.
by Kara Scannell, CNN
Lawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried agreed to pay for a security expert to help the federal judge overseeing his fraud case navigate technology issues as they seek to keep the FTX founder out of jail before his trial.
In a brief letter, Bankman-Fried’s attorneys informed Judge Lewis Kaplan that they agreed with his proposal for a security expert who would work solely for the judge. They said they would propose potential candidates by the end of the week.
At a bail hearing last week, Judge Kaplan suggested Bankman-Fried’s lawyer hire a technical expert to help him navigate issues of encryption, disappearing messages and virtual private networks, or VPN, that have presented challenges.
The judge has been grappling with finding a balance to allow Bankman-Fried access to communication channels so he can prepare his defense against the potential misuse of those apps or VPNs. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to multiple fraud and conspiracy charges.
Prosecutors asked for strict bail conditions limiting the crypto entreprenuer’s use of messaging platforms after becoming alarmed that Bankman-Fried contacted a former FTX employee who is a government witness. Their concerns heightened when they discovered Bankman-Fried used a VPN twice in the past few weeks, including just days after a bail hearing in which the judge expressed concern about the use of encryption. The judge said the outreach could be probable cause to believe Bankman-Fried committed a crime while out on bail.
Bankman-Fried’s attorneys have said the contact with the former employee and VPN use was “benign.” They also told the judge that FTX’s attorneys informed them that they would need to use a VPN to access documents and data that is held on a cloud server.
At the hearing last week, the judge suggested he could revoke Bankman-Fried’s bail if he was unable to get comfortable with bail terms that would allow the FTX founder to access the internet after the series of missteps, including potential witness tampering.
The-CNN-Wire
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