• Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of FTX, has denied allegations that he attempted to influence a potential witness.
• U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams has accused Bankman-Fried of contacting the FTX US General Counsel, Ryne Miller, via encrypted messaging app Signal.
• Williams stated that Miller may be a witness at trial and that Bankman-Fried attempted to influence Miller’s testimony.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of the cryptocurrency trading platform FTX, has come under fire recently after U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams accused him of trying to influence a potential witness. In a Jan. 27 court filing, Williams suggested that Bankman-Fried had contacted the FTX US General Counsel, Ryne Miller, via encrypted messaging app Signal.

Williams noted that Miller has information that could incriminate Bankman-Fried, such as his presence at FTX around the time of the company’s collapse and his participation in online company groups. In the Jan. 15 message to Miller, Bankman-Fried wrote: “I would really love to reconnect and see if there’s a way for us to have a constructive relationship, use each other as resources when possible, or at least vet things with each other.” This statement has been interpreted by Williams as an attempt to influence Miller’s testimony.

In response to the allegations, Bankman-Fried has denied that he tried to sway the witness, saying that he was merely trying to reach out and form a constructive relationship. He also noted that he was not aware at the time that Miller may have been a potential witness.

Williams has requested that the court impose restrictions on Bankman-Fried’s communications, including the restriction of any contact with Miller. He has also requested that Bankman-Fried be prevented from discussing the case with anyone other than his attorney. The court has yet to decide on these requests.

Meanwhile, Bankman-Fried awaits the court’s decision with anticipation as the allegations have caused significant damage to his reputation. If the court decides to implement the restrictions requested by Williams, it could have serious consequences for Bankman-Fried and his future endeavors.