Michelle Bond, the partner of former FTX executive Ryan Salame, has been charged with violating U.S. campaign finance laws, according to an unsealed indictment.
Former congressional candidate Michelle Bond has been accused of funding her failed 2022 New York House of Representatives campaign with money from an unspecified cryptocurrency exchange based in the Bahamas.
According to the document released on August 22, Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, argued that Bond funneled at least $400,000 in illegal money into his candidacy from a “shameful consulting agreement.”
Bond was already involved with Salame at the time, working for the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The company, founded by imprisoned cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried, was based in the Bahamas and accused of similar campaign law violations.
Federal prosecutors say Bond admitted the exchange’s role in financing his campaign at a Trade Group board meeting. FBI Acting Assistant Director Christia M. Curtis added that Bond intentionally misled Congress about the source of the funds and used other tactics to cover his tracks.
FTX Salame in Protracted Dispute
The charges against Bond were unsealed shortly after Salame accused the government of reneging on a plea deal. According to Salame, the deal included his guilty plea and a promise to end any investigation into Bond.
Salame pleaded guilty to conspiracy in September 2023, around the time of Bankman-Fried’s trial, and was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. He now intends to contest his sentence or ask for the charges against Bond to be dropped.
Fed criticizes Salame
In response, prosecutors cited Salame’s social media statements after the conviction as a “complete lack of remorse” on the part of the U.S. legal system.
Salame had posted tweets accusing fellow FTX executives Caroline Ellison and Nishad Singh of lying to secure better plea deals from the government. On August 21, prosecutors highlighted those posts, saying they showed no remorse for their actions.
