U.S. Judge Denies SBF's Motion for New Trial, Calling Their Request "Highly Conspiratorial"

April 29 — U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan has rejected former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) request for a new trial, dismissing his purported new evidence as baseless and “highly conspiratorial.” In a Tuesday court order, the judge noted SBF’s claims — that FTX was actually solvent, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) withheld information, and witnesses feared testifying due to government threats — directly contradict the official record. SBF had accused former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame and ex-Head of Data Science Daniel Chapsky of skipping court out of fear, but the judge emphasized SBF could have subpoenaed or compelled their testimony but took no action. SBF was convicted by a New York jury in November 2023 on seven fraud counts and later sentenced to 25 years in prison. Last week, he voluntarily withdrew his new trial motion, citing an inability to get a “fair hearing” from Judge Kaplan, though his appeal remains pending. The judge also criticized SBF for attempting to shape public opinion via interviews, noting the purported new facts had been raised repeatedly before. SBF had sought a pardon from former President Donald Trump, who has made clear he has no such plans.