SBF Trial, Day 13: Before Judge, Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Gives Few Straight Answers
Oct 27, 2023
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Former FTX CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, gives evasive answers in a trial's evidentiary hearing. Topics covered include payment agent agreement, data retention policy, communication app usage, balance sheet transfer, and establishment of a subsidiary. Defense questions his conversations with lawyers and undermines two defense witnesses.
Sam Bankman Free's verbose and evasive responses during cross-examination could pose challenges for him during the upcoming jury trial.
Bankman Free's inability to provide a copy of FTX's data retention policy and his vague responses to questions about Signal usage indicate potential gaps in his defense.
Deep dives
Bankman Free's evasive responses during cross-examination
During an evidentiary hearing in the SPF trial, Sam Bankman Free took the stand and faced cross-examination from assistant US attorney Danielle Sassoon. Despite being advised to answer briefly, Bankman Free often provided wordy and run-on responses that seemed evasive. His responses were filled with caveats, apologies, and expressions of uncertainty. At times, the contrast between Sassoon's specific questions and Bankman Free's verbose answers made him appear evasive. Bankman Free's evasive responses could pose challenges for him during the upcoming cross-examination by the jury.
Data retention policy and use of auto deletion discussed
As part of the cross-examination, Sassoon questioned Bankman Free about FTX's data retention policy and his use of auto deletion on communication apps like Signal. Bankman Free claimed that informal chatter could be deleted, while sensitive information couldn't. However, he couldn't provide a copy of the data retention policy as the defense had been unable to serve FTX with subpoenas. Sassoon also questioned him about the use of Signal to send a balance sheet and conversations about a large hole at FTX. Bankman Free's responses were often vague, and he frequently claimed not to know or remember key details.
In a courtroom drama minus the jury, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) took the stand for what can be best described as a “test run.” The hearing aimed to help the judge decide what evidence will be admissible in the actual trial. SBF's performance under Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon's questioning was less than stellar. His verbose answers and frequent apologies contrasted sharply with Sassoon's pointed questions, at times making him appear evasive. The hearing also touched on SBF's use of encrypted messaging app Signal and his company's data retention policy.