Former FTX Exec Ryan Salame Withdraws Plea Deal Request as Partner Faces Charges

According to coinDesk: Ryan Salame, the former FTX executive who was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in May 2024, has withdrawn his request to a New York court to enforce the conditions of his plea deal or to have his guilty plea nullified and sentence vacated. The withdrawal comes amidst legal developments involving his partner, Michelle Bond, who was recently indicted on campaign finance-related charges.Salame’s initial plea deal was reportedly secured with assurances from prosecutors that they would halt their investigation into Bond, a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawyer and a prominent figure in crypto advocacy circles. Bond is also the mother of Salame’s child. However, despite these assurances, Bond was indicted in federal court on August 22 for allegedly accepting illegal campaign contributions from Salame and other FTX employees during her 2022 congressional campaign.Last week, Salame’s legal team petitioned the court, arguing that the prosecutors had coerced his guilty plea by suggesting that they would drop the investigation into Bond. The petition sought to compel the government to honor the original terms of the plea deal or to vacate Salame’s plea entirely.In a turn of events, Salame's attorneys have now moved to withdraw this petition. According to court documents, they stated that Salame is stepping back to allow Bond to address the issues in her legal proceedings. “Mr. Salame stands by the facts set forth in the Petition and his accompanying declaration," the attorneys wrote, emphasizing that the withdrawal is intended to let Bond fully develop her case.U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, overseeing the matter, ruled that a hearing on Salame’s original petition will still take place, and Salame is required to attend as part of his bail conditions.Bond’s charges include conspiracy to cause unlawful political contributions, accepting excessive campaign contributions, and making unlawful corporate and conduit contributions. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison for each count.As the legal battles continue, the case highlights the intertwined fates of Salame and Bond, with significant implications for both their futures.