Federal Judge Threatens Ryan Salame With Sanctions After Former FTX Exec Says He Lied About Plea Deal Last Year

As a seasoned researcher with years of experience in following the intricate web of legal proceedings, I find myself both perplexed and intrigued by the recent developments in the Ryan Salame case. The allegations of lying under oath and subsequent threats of sanctions from a federal judge are certainly not new to the world of law, but the unique twist here is the apparent breakdown in communication that seems to have occurred between Salame’s legal team and the prosecutors.

On Thursday, a federal judge warned Ryan Salame, a former executive at FTX, that penalties could be imposed against him, due to Salame’s false statement to the judge regarding prosecutors not offering any assurances in his plea agreement from last year, as CNBC detailed.

In September 2023, Ryan Salame admitted guilt for breaking campaign finance laws and operating an illegal money transfer service. He was consequently sentenced to serve seven and a half years behind bars, which was decided in May.

In a 32-page document submitted to Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York last week, I asserted that the prosecution had given me an assurance as part of my plea agreement that they would discontinue any investigations regarding Michelle Bond, my long-time partner and mother of my child.

Kaplan stated to Salame on Thursday that he was being asked to uphold a verdict and sentence which is now known to be built upon perjured testimony presented during the plea hearing. He maintained that Salame had deceived him into accepting the guilty plea.

Previously, it was contended that Salame and his legal team were aware that their plea agreement wouldn’t clear up any inquiries regarding Bond, and that no such assurance – formal or informal – was ever given. Evidence from the Department of Justice, in the form of emails exchanged among prosecutors, indicates that they did document and circulate notes among themselves, confirming the absence of any such promise.

Yet, emails from defense lawyers imply that there might have been some lapse in communication channels at least, somewhere along the line.

In simpler terms, it can be said that Bond is accused of breaking campaign financing rules by accepting unlawful donations from Salame and staff members at FTX during her 2022 congressional run. If found guilty, she could face up to 20 years behind bars.

On Thursday, Kaplan indicated he needed a bit of time to figure out the best course of action regarding this issue. He informed Salame that his reporting date to prison is October 11th.