US Prosecutor Suggests No Trial in FTX-Linked Campaign Finance Case

US Prosecutor Suggests No Trial in FTX-Linked Campaign Finance Case

Michelle Bond’s legal team and federal prosecutors may be headed toward a pretrial resolution, as the FTX fallout continues to unfold.

Prosecutors Move Toward Potential Plea Deal in Michelle Bond Case

In a turn that could spare both sides a public courtroom battle, Jay Clayton, interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has requested a delay in the criminal case involving Michelle Bond, the wife of former FTX executive Ryan Salame.

In a court filing on June 20, Clayton asked to pause the case for seven days, citing the need to discuss a potential resolution without the need for trial. The motion was quickly approved by Judge George Daniels, who also canceled a hearing set for July 15 and rescheduled oral arguments for July 22.

Bond Faces Campaign Finance Charges from 2022 House Run

Bond, a former Congressional candidate in 2022, was indicted in August 2024 on campaign finance charges. Her legal team argues that prosecutors had made a verbal agreement not to investigate her as part of Salame’s plea deal. The latest request by the government signals an openness to a negotiated outcome.

In the letter to the court, Clayton stated:

“An exclusion of time would serve the ends of justice… and allow the parties to produce and review discovery, consider potential motions, and engage in discussions regarding a resolution.”

This marks one of Clayton’s few direct interventions in crypto-related litigation since assuming his role in April 2025. His appointment runs through August 20, unless extended by the court or confirmed by the Senate.

Salame, SBF, and the Remaining Echoes of FTX’s Collapse

Ryan Salame, Bond’s husband and former co-CEO of FTX Digital Markets, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison in May 2024. His guilty plea made him the only co-defendant of Sam Bankman-Fried not to testify during SBF’s trial.

Salame previously claimed his plea was conditional on prosecutors dropping the case against Bond, but that argument was eventually withdrawn. He began serving his sentence in October 2024.

Bond’s case is among the last unresolved criminal proceedings tied to the spectacular downfall of FTX, which collapsed in late 2022.

Key figures from the exchange — including Sam Bankman-Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, and Nishad Singh — have either been convicted or sentenced, bringing a dramatic chapter in crypto history closer to its legal conclusion.