Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks Right to Transfer FTX's Crypto - CoinDesk

Lawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried have argued he should be allowed access to assets and crypto held by his former company FTX, saying there's no evidence he's responsible for previous alleged unauthorized transactions.

Bankman-Fried, who resigned as FTX's chief executive officer on Nov. 11, 2022 when the crypto exchange filed for bankruptcy, is currently on bail facing charges including wire fraud and money laundering, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

In a Jan. 27 filing, the U.S. Department of Justice requested a communications ban as an additional bail condition, saying that Bankman-Fried had attempted to contact FTX's General Counsel Ryne Miller, and a potential witness in the case.

Cohen’s response broadly agrees to the restriction, but says Bankman-Fried should still have access to some former staffers, including his therapist George Lerner.

“Requiring Mr. Bankman-Fried to include counsel in every communication with a former or current FTX employee would place an unnecessary strain on his resources and prejudice his ability to defend this case,” Cohen said.

Bankman-Fried attempted to “offer his assistance” in messages sent to Miller and new FTX CEO John Ray, which apparently went ignored by the intended recipients, Cohen said.