FTX lawyers will pay for services of expert to help judge
2023.02.22 01:36
FTX lawyers will pay for services of expert to help judge
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – Sam Bankman-Fried’s legal team has agreed to pay for a security expert to help the federal judge in charge of his fraud case navigate modern encryption technology and possibly alter Bankman-Fried’s bail terms.
On February 21, Bankman-Fried attorneys Christian Everdell and Mark Cohen wrote to Judge Lewis Kaplan to express their agreement with his request for the assistance of a technical professional.
The letter states that “the defense has already begun researching and contacting possible experts and anticipates being able to propose one or more potential candidates to the court by the end of the week.” This statement is based on the information provided by the defense.
NEW: By the end of the week, the defense expects to propose one or more candidates to serve as an independent technical expert to advise the court on @SBF_FTX’s bail conditions. The application for this position was just filed today. Following a tightening of bail terms when it was discovered that Bankman-Fried had been utilizing a VPN (virtual private network), Judge Kaplan suggested this at a bail hearing last week.
A virtual private network (VPN) is often used to change an individual’s internet protocol (IP) address, improve communication security, or gain access to content that has been censored by authoritarian regimes.
The judge has been trying to strike a balance between allowing Bankman-Fried access to communication channels so that he can prepare his defense and the possibility of using messaging apps and privacy software in inappropriate ways.
Until the terms of Bankman-Fried’s bail are settled, Judge Kaplan prohibited Bankman-Fried from using a VPN or encrypted messaging apps.
The technical expert will assist the judge in navigating VPNs, privacy-focused messaging apps, and encrypted messages.
According to Bankman-Fried and his attorneys, he used the VPN twice, once to watch the Super Bowl on Feb. 12 and once to watch the NFL playoffs on Jan. 29.
Bankman-Fried’s access to the internet and messaging apps has been restricted by strict bail terms that have been requested by the prosecution. They also said that using a VPN “raised several potential concerns” about the possibility of gaining access to crypto platforms that have blocked US users.
