FACT CHECK: No, All Charges Against Sam Bankman-Fried Have Not Been Dropped
A post shared on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, purports all charges against former FTX Trading Ltd. CEO Sam Bankman-Fried have been dropped.
All charges against alleged FTX crypto scammer Sam Bankman-Fried dropped
— PMW HIP HOP (@pmwhiphop) July 27, 2023
Verdict: False
Only one charge involving conspiracy to make unlawful campaign contributions has been dropped, according to the New York Post. Bankman-Fried is still facing 12 other charges, divided across two upcoming trials.
Fact Check:
Prosecutors have urged a judge to revoke Bankman-Fried’s bail and prevent potential witness tampering ahead of his October 2023 trial, according to CNN. Prosecutors made the plea in a recent filing, claiming Bankman-Fried had allegedly violated the terms of his release and “repeatedly tampered with witnesses,” CNBC reported.
“All charges against alleged FTX crypto scammer Sam Bankman-Fried dropped,” the X post’s caption purports. The post includes a video of Bankman-Fried being escorted out of a building and into a black SUV and has been viewed over 300 times as of writing.
The claim is false, however. Only a charge involving conspiracy to make unlawful campaign contributions has been dropped, according to the New York Post. The charge was dropped July 26 during Bankman-Fried’s extradition from the Bahamas to the U.S. after the Bahamas clarified they “did not intend to extradite” him on that charge, the outlet reported.
Bankman-Fried is still facing 12 other charges, which will be divided across two upcoming trials, with one set for October 2023 and the other set for March 2024, according to the Post. Five of the charges remain in question because they were added following Bankman-Fried’s extradition, the outlet indicated.
Bankman-Fried was accused of allegedly using FTX Trading Ltd.’s funds to illegally make over 300 campaign donations to gain favor with candidates who might pass laws that could help his company. (RELATED: Did FTX Sponsor Study On Ivermectin Efficacy?)
Likewise, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has neither issued a press release via its website nor a statement posted to its verified social media accounts announcing it had dropped all the charges against Bankman-Fried. Check Your Fact also found no credible news reports supporting the claim. If the claim was actually true, multiple media outlets would have covered it, yet none have.
Check Your Fact has contacted the DOJ for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
