Sam Bankman-Fried’s memory faltered on Monday under the scope of questions posed by US Assistant Attorney Danielle Sassoon—as the government challenged his credibility on the witness stand.
“I’m not sure. I don’t recall. I’m not sure exactly what you’re referring to,” Bankman-Fried said, after Sassoon inquired about Alameda Research, a crypto trading firm Bankman-Fried co-founded, and whether he claimed—at any point—his bankrupt trading firm was subject to the same rules as other customers of FTX.
Bankman-Fried’s testimony will make him one of the last witnesses in his weeks-long criminal trial. Charged with seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, he is accused by the government of pilfering billions of dollars of FTX customers’ cash and crypto through Alameda.
For much of the government’s cross-examination on Monday, Bankman-Fried couldn’t recall certain details about his time as CEO of FTX. He responded to questions with some version of “I don’t recall” dozens of times. And his inability to satisfy prosecutors’ questions stood in stark contrast to testimony elicited by his lawyers earlier in the day.
