SBF Trial, Day 7: In SBF Trial, Did the Defense Lose Its Opportunity With the Star Witness?
The defense failed to gain traction during Caroline Ellison's cross-examination, repeating questions previously asked and further frustrating the judge. Still, shocking new facts came to light, such as that, around the time that Alameda had “borrowed” $14 billion of FTX customer money, Sam Bankman-Fried told Ellison he wanted to make a big investment in messaging platform Telegram.
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Show Notes
Day seven of Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial saw the defense team unable to discredit Caroline Ellison, despite multiple attempts. The defense's questions often seemed aimless, failing to draw any substantial conclusions. Ellison remained steadfast, revealing that SBF had plans to buy Telegram around the time Alameda "borrowed" $14 billion of FTX customer money.
Defense attorney Mark Cohen tried to portray Ellison as the one in charge of Alameda, but she clarified that SBF was the ultimate decision-maker. Ellison also disclosed that she had considered resigning from Alameda but was persuaded by SBF to stay, emphasizing his control over the firm.
The day continued with testimony from Christian Drappi, a former Alameda employee, who corroborated Ellison's account. Zac Prince, founder of the bankrupt crypto lending firm BlockFi, briefly took the stand, setting the stage for his testimony to continue the next day.
Catch up on Unchained’s previous coverage:
- Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: Here’s Everything That Happened So Far
- SBF Trial, Day 1: Possible Witnesses Include FTX Insiders, Big Names in Crypto, and SBF’s Family
- SBF Trial, Day 2: DOJ Says Sam Bankman-Fried ‘Lied’ While Defense Claims His Actions Were ‘Reasonable’
- SBF Trial, Day 3: Why a True Believer in FTX Flipped Once He Learned One Fact
- SBF Trial, Day 4: SBF’s Lawyers Annoy Judge Kaplan, While Wang Reveals Alameda’s Special Privileges
- SBF Trial, Day 5: SBF's Defense Finally Found Its Legs, But Can It Counter Caroline Ellison?
- SBF Trial, Day 6: Caroline Ellison Recalls 'The Worst Week of My Life'
- Did Sam Bankman-Fried Have Intent to Defraud FTX Investors?
- Here’s How Sam Bankman-Fried’s High-Stakes Trial Could Play Out
- SBF Trial: How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Might Try and Win His Case
- The High-Stakes Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried Begins: What to Expect
- In the SBF Case, Elite Corruption Is What’s Really on Trial
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