The conservative world erupted against the Department of Justice after Sam Bankman-Fried, the founding businessman of the company FTX, avoided a second trial where he was going to be tried for making alleged illegal political donations.
According to prosecutors, a second trial would delay sentencing and leave it out of time for reparation payments to fraud victims of Bankman-Fried, who defrauded investors and clients of nearly $10 billion through a digital currency scam.
In a letter filed Friday in Manhattan federal court, prosecutors argued that they will also not seek a second trial because “much of the evidence that would be offered in a second trial was already offered in the first trial and can be considered by the Court at the defendant’s March 2024 sentencing.”
“Given that practical reality and the strong public interest in a prompt resolution of this matter, the Government intends to proceed to sentencing on the counts for which the defendant was convicted at trial,” prosecutors added.
However, Republican politicians and conservative commentators were outraged by the prosecutors’ decision.
“So we won’t know which politicians he bribed or who’s campaigns he influenced? That collective sigh of relief you are hearing is from the DEEP STATE,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tennessee, wrote on X (Twitter).
So we won’t know which politicians he bribed or who’s campaigns he influenced? That collective sigh of relief you are hearing is from the DEEP STATE. https://t.co/8eEkYI869b
— Tim Burchett (@timburchett) December 30, 2023
CryptoLaw founder John Deaton, who has closely followed the Bankman-Fried case, called the prosecutors' decision a “disgrace.”
“The DOJ has shown again, that it is NOT an independent agency. Who is the Attorney General protecting?” Deaton said.
A disgrace. The DOJ has shown again, that it is NOT an independent agency. Who is the Attorney General protecting? https://t.co/f7G8hdfjvR
— John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) December 30, 2023
Conservative commentator John Cardillo also spoke out, accusing the DOJ of protecting “Dem donation recipients” from Bankman-Fried.
Sam Bankman-Fried will not face second trial
“He had faced six charges that had been separated from his first trial.
These included campaign finance violations, conspiracy to commit bribery…”
DOJ is protecting his Dem donation recipients. https://t.co/Uerzvfd2pN
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) December 30, 2023
The founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, was not far behind and strongly questioned the Department of Justice.
Kirk said the case became so big that prosecutors had no choice but to take it on and leave no consequences to the politicians who benefited from Bankman-Fried’s money.
“The SBF case became too high-profile for the DOJ to completely ignore, but they made sure laundering $100 million of customers’ money to Schumer, Biden, and McConnell and other dark money groups would never blow back on the ‘elite.’ Trump faces 700 years in federal prison, but America’s uniparty cabal just gave themselves a get out of jail free card. You’re witnessing DC corruption in realtime,” Kirk wrote.
The SBF case became too high-profile for the DOJ to completely ignore, but they made sure laundering $100 million of customers’ money to Schumer, Biden, and McConnell and other dark money groups would never blow back on the “elite.” Trump faces 700 years in federal prison, but… https://t.co/wC2l7ycl7H
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) December 30, 2023
Elon Musk himself, owner of Tesla and X, reacted to the news by publishing some exclamation points that denoted disagreement with the DOJ’s decision.
!!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 30, 2023
