The US Department of Justice (DOJ) accused former FTX CEO SBF of leaking the private diary of Caroline Ellison, his ex-girlfriend and former Alameda Research CEO, to the media.
Yesterday, the New York Times published an article containing some private writings of Ellison, which revealed her thoughts towards SBF, her job, and FTX's collapse. For example, she didn't think she was suitable for running Alameda Research, and her romantic relationship with SBF was not stable. Last December, Ellison pleaded guilty to federal charges, and began cooperating with prosecutors.
The DOJ accused SBF of leaking the information to NYT to discredit her, "the defendant's purpose in sharing these materials is plain. Ellison has pleaded guilty to a cooperation agreement and is expected to testify at trial that she agreed with the defendant to defraud FTX's customers and investors, and Alameda's lenders. By selectively sharing certain private documents with the New York Times, the defendant is attempting to discredit a witness, cast Ellison in a poor light, and advance his defense through the press and outside the constraints of the courtroom and rules of evidence: that Ellison was a jilted lover who perpetrated these crimes alone."
The DOJ also asked the judge to limit "extrajudicial statements by parties and witnesses likely to interfere with a fair trial by an impartial jury". The DOJ believes that leaks aimed at discrediting witnesses, besides potentially tainting the jury pool, also have the potential to deter other witnesses from testifying.
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Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison and FTX Co-founder Gary Wang Plead Guilty to Federal Charges