FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has asked the court to seal the private diary of his ex-girlfriend and former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, according to court filings. Bankman-Fried’s lawyer argued that the presumption of access to these documents is greatly outweighed by the need to avoid their public dissemination at this time. The U.S. Department of Justice had accused Bankman-Fried of leaking Ellison’s diary to The New York Times and attempting to tamper with witnesses.
Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York declined to jail Bankman-Fried immediately, but imposed a temporary gag order on parties and witnesses from discussing the case with the media. New York’s Inner City Press, which covers court proceedings in the city’s federal court, asked the court to schedule a hearing on the matter if necessary. Again this defendant is being treated differently than other defendants in this District, Inner City’s Matthew Russell Lee wrote.
Bankman-Fried is set to go on trial in October on various charges, including securities and wire fraud allegations. A second trial on additional charges, including bank fraud and bribery allegations, is scheduled for next March. He has pleaded not guilty.