Former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame’s wife, Michelle Bond, is asking a US judge to drop the charges against her.
She said that federal prosecutors tricked her husband into pleading guilty by promising they would not go after her.
In a filing submitted on May 7 to a federal court in New York, Bond’s lawyers repeated claims Salame had made. They argued that the government used misleading tactics to get Salame to agree to a deal that ultimately sent him to prison.
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According to the filing, prosecutors privately said they would stop investigating Bond—but refused to put that in writing. Meanwhile, the court document said:
Mr. Salame and Ms. Bond’s attorneys were advised that the agreement to cease investigating Ms. Bond could not be placed within the four corners of the Salame plea or other written agreement.
However, it adds that the government still used the promise as a way to persuade him to plead guilty.
It also stated that there was enough disagreement over what promises were made to Salame and Bond that a court hearing—with access to more evidence—should take place.
In August 2024, federal officials charged Bond with several campaign finance violations, including excessive donations, accepting money from companies through middlemen, and filing false reports with election regulators.
Bond’s filing also suggests politics played a part. She hints that her Republican party affiliation may have influenced the charges against her. However, the charges she faces are based on financial records and campaign donations—not on political views.
Recently, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao confirmed that he asked former President Donald Trump for a pardon. What did he say? Read the full story.
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