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Prosecutors intend to use personal notes and diary entries from former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison as evidence against FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried at his criminal trial.<\/p>\n
In an Aug. 14 filing<\/a>, prosecutors said they would bring forward a collection of Ellison\u2019s personal to-do lists and notes including one titled \u201cThings Sam is Freaking Out About.\u201d<\/p>\n The note summarizes conversations between Bankman-Fried and Ellison over his business concerns, fundraising, Alameda\u2019s trading hedges and bad press about the hedge fund and FTX\u2019s ties.<\/p>\n Other entries provide key insights into the day-to-day running of what prosecutors allege were fraudulent operations at FTX. <\/p>\n The trove of evidence includes a recording of Ellison taken from an all-hands meeting on Nov. 9, 2022 \u2014 two days before FTX and Alameda filed for bankruptcy<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a meeting, an Alameda employee reportedly asked Ellison who else had been aware of the shortfall in FTX user funds, to which Ellison answered: \u201cYeah, I mean, I guess I talked about it with, like, Sam, Nishad, and Gary.\u201d<\/p>\n Gary Wang is a co-founder of FTX while Nishad Singh was the exchange’s director of engineering. Both have pleaded guilty to fraud charges and are reportedly cooperating with prosecutors. <\/p>\n An employee pressed Ellisonon who made the decision to using FTXuser deposits to which Ellison reportedly answered: <\/p>\n \u201cUm . . . Sam, I guess.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Notably, the prosecution explained the horde of evidence including Ellison\u2019s other diaries and personal notes doesn’t constitute hearsay as Ellison took notes to memorialize information and help carry out her role in the conspiracy. <\/p>\n Related: <\/em><\/strong>Ex-FTX exec Salame won\u2019t testify in alleged illegal campaign donation case<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The prosecution also added that evidence concerning Bankman-Fried\u2019s other alleged activities should also be admitted.<\/p>\n This includes allegedly falsified statements to an unnamed bank, the bribery of Chinese officials<\/a> concerning frozen Alameda accounts, the manipulation of the exchange\u2019s native FTX<\/a> token (FTT<\/a>) as well as selective prioritization of payments to creditors.<\/p>\n Bankman-Fried\u2019s lawyers responded to the prosecution’s motion in an Aug. 14 filing<\/a> where they moved to exclude any evidence procured after July 1.<\/p>\n They argued prosecutors failed to produce specific information in a timely manner, including the contents of Wang\u2019s laptop and Ellison\u2019s encrypted Telegram chats. The defense claimed these delays had prevented them from adequately preparing for trial.<\/p>\n Bankman-Fried currently awaits his October trial<\/a> in Brooklyn\u2019s Metropolitan Detention Centre after the court revoked his bail<\/a> over allegations he leaked some of Ellison’s diary entries to The New York Times.<\/p>\n