**U.S. Justice Department Seeks Recovery of $13 Million in Political Donations Tied to FTX**
The U.S. Justice Department is making strides to recover as much as $13.25 million in political donations associated with former executives of FTX, as disclosed in a recent federal court document.
Judge Lewis Kaplan, presiding over the criminal case against Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, and his associates, has granted the government’s request for an extension until January 15 to engage in discussions with various political action committees (PACs).
In its filing, the Justice Department underscored the necessity for additional time to deliberate on the “forfeitability of funds” received by these PACs from Bankman-Fried and his co-defendants.
**PACs Mentioned in the Filing**
The document specifically names Senate Majority PAC, Future Forward PAC, and Emily’s List, all of which predominantly support Democratic initiatives or progressive causes.
Data from OpenSecrets indicates that the total contributions amounting to approximately $13.25 million were made by Bankman-Fried and Nishad Singh, the former head of engineering at FTX. Singh, who testified that he was directed by Bankman-Fried to facilitate these donations—often by signing blank checks—was recently sentenced to time served along with three years of supervised release after cooperating with prosecutors in the case against Bankman-Fried.
Detailed records reveal that the Future Forward PAC alone received $1 million from Singh and $5 million from Bankman-Fried. Additionally, the GMI PAC accepted $2 million, while Senate Majority PAC received $2 million from Singh and $1 million from Bankman-Fried. Women Vote was also granted $2.25 million from Singh.
In the wake of FTX’s downfall, numerous politicians and PACs have started returning the contributions from Bankman-Fried, with many organizations indicating plans to redirect the funds to charitable initiatives.
**Impact of SBF’s Neurodivergent Disorders on Trial**
Recently, a group of medical professionals submitted an amicus brief supporting Sam Bankman-Fried’s appeal, suggesting that his criminal trial may have been profoundly influenced by his neurodivergent disorders.
The co-founder of FTX, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), faced “significant challenges” throughout the legal proceedings, according to the doctors’ claims.
The brief, endorsed by eight specialists in neurodivergence, pointed out that several judicial decisions during the trial were unfavorable to Bankman-Fried because of his conditions. This amicus brief coincided with a separate filing by a cohort of bankruptcy law professors who raised concerns regarding the interplay between FTX’s bankruptcy case and Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial.
While they refrained from supporting either party, the professors cautioned that the collaboration between the FTX bankruptcy estate and the prosecution might establish a “dangerous precedent,” potentially encouraging the use of Chapter 11 proceedings to reinforce concurrent criminal prosecutions.
