Prosecutors have moved to disqualify all seven of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s proposed witnesses from testifying at his upcoming trial. In a late Monday filing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said that some of the disclosures filed by the witnesses did not detail their opinions, while others “are inappropriate subjects for expert testimony” or possibly confusing for a potential jury. The DOJ also moved to exclude a financial analysis expert proposed by the prosecution, saying that his proposed testimony may not be allowed under the rules.
The defense team, for their part, wants to exclude a financial analysis expert proposed by the Department of Justice because his proposed testimony may not be allowed under the rules. The defense team also filed a motion to bar the prosecution from using any discovery shared after July 1, as well as Bankman-Fried’s planned “advice-of-counsel” defense.
The DOJ argued that some of the witnesses’ proposed testimony would try to explain the law to the jury, while others did not share details about what they would actually testify about beyond general topics. The defense team, meanwhile, argued that the prosecution’s proposed financial services industry expert did not appear to have “sufficient experience or expertise” in the crypto industry.
The two teams of lawyers will meet virtually on Wednesday to discuss the defense team’s motions.
“Many of Professor Easton’s ‘opinions’ simply narrate the Government’s allegations with no apparent expert analysis to purportedly assist the jury,” the defense team’s filing said.