Michelle Bond, the wife of former FTX co-CEO Ryan Salame, is heading to trial on November 9 after a Manhattan judge denied her motion to dismiss the indictment. She faces four charges related to campaign finance violations.
Prosecutors allege that Bond and Salame illegally funded her 2022 congressional campaign using $400,000 in FTX funds as a “sham” payment. Bond ran as a Republican in New York’s 1st congressional district but lost the primary. Salame is currently serving a 7.5-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions.
Bond’s defense had argued that prosecutors misled Salame into believing she wouldn’t be charged if he pleaded guilty. The judge rejected that argument. Her case is one of the final criminal proceedings tied to the FTX collapse, which also saw Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years and Caroline Ellison released early from a two-year sentence.
Bankman-Fried recently lost his appeal and has applied for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. Salame initially tried to vacate his plea over the handling of Bond’s charges but ultimately reported to prison in October 2024.
