Former FTX executive Ryan Salame has decided to withdraw his petition to dismiss the indictment against Michelle Bond just days before a critical court hearing. Salame’s legal team informed Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the Southern District of New York that the petition was being withdrawn “without prejudice” to allow Bond to address the matter in her own legal proceedings.
Salame was sentenced to 90 months in prison in May 2024 after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges, including operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and making unlawful political contributions. Bond, a former congressional candidate, is accused of conspiring with Salame, who is her boyfriend, to finance her 2022 campaign unlawfully.
Salame’s petition, originally filed on Aug. 21, sought a writ of error coram nobis or, alternatively, a writ of audita querela. He argued that his guilty plea was made under the false belief that prosecutors would not pursue further action against Bond. However, prosecutors labeled his claims as “demonstrably false” and insisted that the investigation into Bond’s activities was ongoing and separate from the charges he faced.
With Bond’s indictment now formally docketed and her case moving forward under Judge George B. Daniels, Salame has decided to step back. His legal team emphasized that the withdrawal does not imply any change in Salame’s stance on the facts of the case. Instead, they argued that it made more sense to allow the issues raised in his petition to be litigated in Bond’s case, where they would be directly relevant.
The decision to withdraw the petition effectively clears the way for Bond’s case to proceed without the complications that Salame’s petition might have introduced. Salame’s lawyers clarified that the petition’s motives were not driven by dissatisfaction with Salame’s sentence but by the impending indictment against Bond. This tactical shift allows Bond to independently address the issues raised in the case.
The withdrawal of Ryan Salame’s petition marks a significant development in the legal proceedings surrounding Michelle Bond’s case. It reflects a strategic decision to streamline the litigation process and ensure that the relevant issues are addressed appropriately in Bond’s legal proceedings. This move highlights the complexity of the case and the careful deliberation required in navigating the legal challenges ahead.
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