TechFlow News — Documents filed Friday evening by the U.S. Department of Justice reveal ambiguity between FTX’s domestic and international operations, tied to FTX founder and former CEO SBF’s use of comedian Larry David and American football player Tom Brady in FTX advertisements.
SBF denies multiple charges, including wire fraud. He accuses the U.S. Department of Justice of introducing corruption and campaign finance-related allegations through the backdoor.
The DOJ argues that the operational distinction between FTX’s U.S. and international businesses was unclear in practice, citing a series of ads aired in the months before the major cryptocurrency collapse. The ads featured Larry David, Tom Brady, and his ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, displaying only the "FTX" logo instead of the "FTX.US" logo. According to the DOJ, internal documents show FTX did not differentiate between advertising for its international platform and FTX.US. The DOJ also seeks detailed information about FTX’s bankruptcy, calling it “closely related” to the alleged misuse of customer funds.
SBF claims he was forced to abandon a company that could have recovered. The DOJ maintains that post-bankruptcy developments remain relevant to the jury, even if FTX’s ultimate fate is not at issue. The trial is scheduled to begin on October 2.
