Inside Sam Bankman-Fried’s Meeting with Bill Clinton: FBI Agent Reveals Details

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Richard Busick, an FBI special agent specializing in the Cellular Analysis Survey Team, said that in September 2022, less than two months before the FTX exchange’s collapse, former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s schedule was packed with appointments with influential individuals. SBF met with Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul. 

Testimony of Richard Busick

In the New York Southern District Court on Tuesday, Richard Busick, during his testimony as a witness for the prosecution in Bankman-Fried’s continuing criminal case, revealed several meetings of SBF that showed his political and pecuniary power to commit the alleged fraud and wire scams. 

Busick asserts that he was entrusted with locating Bankman-Fried’s mobile phone using data from cell towers between June 2021 and November 2022. These emails and phone records recovered by the Department of Justice provide details on SBF’s hectic September. 

This month, Bankman-Fried attended multiple meetings with high-ranking officials and influential individuals. Meticulously documented in the retrieved emails, these meetings shed light on Bankman-Fried’s extensive network and involvement in various questionable activities. Furthermore, the cell phone data revealed a surge in communication between Bankman-Fried and known associates during this period, adding to the mounting evidence against him.

Meeting With Bill Clinton  

According to the emails, Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Kudla testified in court that Bankman-Fried was identified as meeting with former President Bill Clinton at a Hilton hotel in New York City on September 20. 

Just a few days before meeting with Mr. Clinton, on September 16, Bankman-Fried was noted as having a meeting with Kathy Hochul, the governor of the state of New York, at a restaurant, “most likely, Capital Grille on East 42nd Street,” Kudla testified in court, adding that Hochul’s office hasn’t yet confirmed the precise location.

Meeting With Arab Politicians & Eric Adams 

According to emails and cell phone records acquired by the DOJ, Bankman-Fried met with Khalid A. Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia’s minister of investments, and Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan, head of the Saudi state-owned oil corporation Saudi Aramco, over the next two days.

According to the information supplied by Kudla, Bankman-Fried also met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams on March 3, 2022.

What was discussed in the meetings, or why they were held, wasn’t made public.

Bankman-Fried Politically Influenced 

Former FTX head of engineering Nishad Singh described Bankman-Friend’s efforts to influence political donations earlier this week. His attempts to gain political sway also become a major issue in Michael Lewis’ recent novel, “Going Infinite.” 

Early in November 2022, FTX experienced difficulties in liquidity and withdrawals; on November 11, the company filed for bankruptcy. Bankman-Fried was detained in the Bahamas and returned to the United States after being charged with fraud by a U.S. grand jury in December. 

Around that time, Gary Wang, a co-founder of FTX, and Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, each admitted guilt to various charges of fraud. Two months later, Nishad Singh also entered a guilty plea. All three have testified as witnesses for the prosecution in Sam Bankman-Fried’s continuing New York trial. 

Also Read: Judge Denies Cross-Examination of Key Witnesses in Sam Bankman-Fried Trial