Sam Bankman-Fried Drops Request for New Trial, Citing Fairness Concerns

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the now-defunct FTX cryptocurrency exchange, has formally withdrawn his motion for a retrial, expressing doubts about receiving a fair trial. Bankman-Fried, currently serving a 25-year sentence for multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy related to FTX's collapse in 2022, indicated that he might revive the motion after the outcome of his direct appeal and a related request for reassignment have been determined. The initial motion for a new trial was submitted by his mother, Barbara Fried, citing newly discovered evidence that could warrant a retrial. Bankman-Fried revealed that he personally drafted the motion while in detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, with limited assistance. Although he sought input from his lawyers and family members, he maintained that he was the primary author of the letter to the judge. Bankman-Fried's appeal is currently pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, where his attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, argued during November's oral arguments that the trial was inherently unfair due to restrictions on the evidence Bankman-Fried could present to the jury.