TechFlow reports that Michelle Bond, partner of former FTX co-CEO Ryan Salame, pleaded not guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to four charges related to campaign finance violations. The charges include conspiracy to make illegal campaign contributions, making and accepting excessive contributions, making and accepting illegal corporate contributions, and making and accepting conduit contributions.
The allegations stem from Bond's 2022 Republican campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, during which she allegedly concealed the source of funding. Prosecutors claim Salame arranged for FTX to pay $400,000 to support her campaign, while Bond allegedly made false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and congressional committees.
Notably, Salame previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 90 months in prison. However, after Bond was indicted, he requested the court to withdraw his plea, arguing it was based on prosecutors' implicit promise not to pursue charges against his partner. Judge Lewis Kaplan indicated he would consider whether to allow Salame to withdraw his guilty plea.
Bond remains free on a $1 million bail but is subject to domestic travel restrictions. Judge George Daniels has scheduled a pretrial conference for January 2025. In the criminal cases against FTX and Alameda Research, as of September 18, only Salame and SBF have been sentenced to prison. Sentencing hearings for other implicated executives are expected in the coming months.
