The defense in Sam Bankman-Fried's federal fraud trial rested its case Tuesday after calling three witnesses, including the FTX founder.
He denied knowing that billions of dollars had been misused until just a few months before the company's collapse last November. Sassoon then pressed Bankman-Fried on his"cozy relationship" with Bahamian officials, specifically the country's prime minister, Philip Davis, and his wife.Sassoon tried to link the favors Bankman-Fried did for officials on the island with his decision to let FTX customers there withdraw their funds from the cryptocurrency exchange while preventing others from doing the same."And you did that, correct?" Sassoon asked.
Sassoon then showed Bankman-Fried a text message in which he told colleagues the couple sat courtside at a game.