The Defense’s Request Denied
Judge Lewis Kaplan has denied the defense counsel’s request to further cross-examine Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang in the trial of S. Bankman-Fried. The defense wanted to question Wang about the assistance FTX lawyers provided to Alameda Research in structuring loans, but the judge dismissed their request.
This is not the first time the defense team has asked for permission to cross-examine Ellison and Wang. However, Judge Kaplan has consistently denied their requests.
Why Cross-Examination Was Denied
In a court document filed on October 10, Judge Kaplan explained his decision to dismiss the defense’s request. He stated that the information about the role of counsel in arranging loans given by Alameda Research was not relevant to Wang’s cross-examination as the former CTO of FTX.
The defense team also predicted that the prosecution would try to get Ellison to admit that Bankman-Fried instructed her to establish auto-deletion on her messaging accounts. However, Bankman-Fried’s attorneys argue that the engagement of Alameda or FTX attorneys shows good faith and a lack of criminal intent.
The Judge stated, “The Government has elicited and may continue to elicit testimony on the use of auto-deletion policies at Alameda and FTX; we respectfully request that the Court allow the defense to elicit the above-referenced evidence in its cross-examination of Ms. Ellison.”
Judge Kaplan dismissed Wang’s cross-examination as no longer pertinent, using the term “denying by moot.” It is likely that he will reject the defense team’s request to cross-examine Ellison for similar reasons.
Ellison Accuses Bankman-Fried
Caroline Ellison, who has admitted her guilt and is cooperating with the authorities, has accused Bankman-Fried of ordering her to carry out the scams. She stated that she did not act on her own initiative and that Bankman-Fried had access to the accounts of both FTX and Alameda, making decisions about their operations.
According to Ellison, Bankman-Fried chose to invest billions of dollars in risky ventures despite being aware of the risks at Alameda. She claimed that he had direct control over the day-to-day operations and was fully aware of the potential consequences. However, she also acknowledged her responsibility in carrying out the scams under Bankman-Fried’s direction.
Hot Take: Defense’s Cross-Examination Requests Denied by Judge Kaplan
Judge Lewis Kaplan has denied the defense team’s requests to further cross-examine Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang in the trial of S. Bankman-Fried. The defense sought to question Wang on the role of FTX lawyers in structuring loans for Alameda Research, but their request was dismissed. Judge Kaplan deemed the information irrelevant to Wang’s cross-examination.
Additionally, it is expected that the defense team’s request to cross-examine Ellison will also be denied for similar reasons. Ellison has accused Bankman-Fried of instructing her to carry out scams, highlighting his control over FTX and Alameda’s operations. However, she acknowledged her own involvement in the fraudulent activities. With these testimonies denied further cross-examination, it remains to be seen how this will impact the trial proceedings and its outcome.
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