The U.S. Attorney’s Office has opposed a motion from former FTX executive Ryan Salame to nullify his guilty plea, asserting that his claims about prosecutors misleading him are baseless.
In a recent filing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office criticized Salame’s petition to overturn his plea agreement, which led to a 90-month prison sentence. Salame’s legal team had argued that during plea negotiations, prosecutors suggested they would halt their investigation into his partner, Michelle Bond, if he pleaded guilty. However, the government sharply refuted this claim.
On August 22, prosecutors unsealed an indictment against Bond for alleged campaign finance violations related to her 2022 congressional campaign. Salame contends that this indictment contradicts the agreement he believed he had, in which prosecutors supposedly promised to drop the investigation into Bond.
The government’s filing dismisses Salame’s argument as “demonstrably false,” insisting that Bond’s indictment pertains to separate issues from Salame’s case. Prosecutors maintain that the ongoing investigation into Bond does not breach any promises made to Salame during his plea deal.
Salame had previously pleaded guilty to charges of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and engaging in campaign finance fraud. His petition, filed on August 21, seeks to either overturn his conviction or compel the government to honor their alleged agreement regarding Bond.
The case continues to unfold with a court hearing set for September 12, which will determine the future of both Salame’s plea deal and the ongoing investigation into Bond.
