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Michelle Bond, the girlfriend of former FTX executive Ryan Salame, has pleaded not guilty to charges of violating campaign finance laws connected to her 2022 congressional run. Bond is accused of accepting over $500,000 from FTX to fund her campaign in New York’s first congressional district, where she ran as a Trump-backed Republican.
Bond faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to cause unlawful campaign contributions and receiving excessive contributions. Her legal troubles arise from her relationship with Salame, who was co-CEO of FTX Markets and has already been sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for conspiracy related to unlawful political contributions. Salame had initially agreed to a plea deal but later filed and withdrew a petition claiming prosecutors promised to stop investigating Bond in exchange for his plea.
Salame’s sentence is expected to begin soon, but his recent actions may lead to delays or further legal complications. Meanwhile, Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research and ex-girlfriend of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, will face sentencing on September 24. Unlike Salame, Ellison cooperated with authorities and testified against Bankman-Fried, who is serving a 25-year sentence for fraud. Salame has been vocal on social media, criticizing the legal system, highlighting the differences in sentencing between himself, Ellison, and Bankman-Fried.
Other FTX executives, including CTO Gary Wang and director of engineering Nishad Singh, are also awaiting sentencing.
