Bankman-Fried Accuses Trial of Bias and Demands Review of Verdict
Date: 2025-11-05 Author: Henry Casey Categories: BUSINESS
Sam Bankman-Fried's defense team has filed an appeal, seeking a review of his case related to the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange. According to the lawyers, the trial, presided over by Judge Lewis Kaplan, was conducted in an atmosphere of media and government pressure, which led to a hasty verdict.
The lawyers claim the jury was biased against the defendant even before the trial began, and the judge himself repeatedly interfered with the trial and demonstrated bias. The appeal claims Kaplan pushed the jury toward a quick verdict, even offering them dinner and transportation to expedite deliberations. Furthermore, the defense claims the judge made sarcastic remarks about Bankman-Fried and expressed disbelief in his testimony.
As a reminder, in 2023, a jury found Sam Bankman-Fried guilty on seven counts, including fraud and conspiracy. According to the indictment, billions of dollars from FTX clients were funneled to Alameda Research and used for investments, political donations, and real estate purchases. The entrepreneur was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to repay more than $11 billion.
The primary defense is based on the claim that Bankman-Fried had no intention of misleading clients and believed the exchange had sufficient assets to cover its liabilities. However, according to the lawyers, the judge prohibited him from mentioning this to the jury, depriving the defense of a key argument.
Attorney Alexandra Shapiro, representing the businessman, stated that the judge did not allow her to explain in detail how Bankman-Fried's actions were coordinated with FTX lawyers. She argued that this limited the defense's ability to present a full picture of events.
Among the prosecution's witnesses were former company employees: FTX co-founder Gary Wang, engineer Nishad Singh, and former head of Alameda Research Caroline Ellison. All pleaded guilty and testified against Bankman-Fried. Ellison testified that the company maintained "alternative balance sheets" to conceal losses and withdraw client funds.
Sam Bankman-Fried is currently in jail in California and is not attending the hearing. His team is seeking a new trial with a different judge, arguing that his right to a fair trial was violated.
In February 2025, the businessman also stated that he was hoping for a pardon from US President Donald Trump, calling his case an example of "abuse of power" under the previous administration of Joseph Biden.
