Ex-Prosecutor Denies Promising Not to Charge FTX Executive's Partner

Why It Matters

The testimony highlights prosecutorial discretion in high‑profile crypto fraud cases and could affect the outcome of Bond’s pending charges, signaling how plea deals may shape the broader legal fallout from FTX’s collapse.

Summary

U.S. attorney Danielle Sassoon testified that her team would likely cease investigating former FTX Digital Markets co‑CEO Ryan Salame if he pleaded guilty, a statement she made during an evidentiary hearing in the Southern District of New York. Salame received a more than seven‑year prison sentence, and his plea led to campaign‑finance charges against his then‑girlfriend, Michelle Bond, who now seeks dismissal of those charges, alleging prosecutors induced Salame’s plea. Bond faces multiple counts related to a $400,000 contribution to her 2022 congressional campaign, marking one of the last criminal threads from the 2022 FTX bankruptcy. The hearing comes as other key figures—Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang—have already served sentences, while former CEO Sam Bankman‑Fried continues to fight his 25‑year conviction.