Ryan Salame, the former co-CEO of FTX Digital Markets, has confessed to his involvement in deceiving the United States Federal Election Commission (FEC). He also admitted to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting enterprise.
On September 7, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a declaration. In it, Salame tendered his guilty plea. This occurred before a judge presiding in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
He now joins the ranks as the fourth notable figure affiliated with the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX to confront criminal charges and acknowledge wrongdoing. Salame potentially faces an extensive period of incarceration. This is both for the violation of campaign finance laws and for running an unlicensed money-transmitting operation.
The allegations regarding campaign finance irregularities seem to stem from monetary contributions made to bolster the 2022 congressional campaign of Salame’s partner, Michelle Bond.
Salame’s Illicit Political Contributions and Acknowledged Wrongdoing
Records obtained from the FEC disclose that Salame, the former FTX executive, provided two contributions of $2,900 each for the primary campaign. He also made an additional pair of contributions, each amounting to $2,900, for the general election.
Furthermore, it has been reported that he made political contributions on behalf of a corporation, a clear infringement of U.S. legislation.
Salame acknowledged, “I furnished $10 million in political funding and misclassified them as loans, with no intention of ever repaying them,” as disclosed by Cointelegraph.
“This course of action received support from Sam Bankman-Fried. I was well aware that such actions were prohibited.” “In my role as Alameda’s settlements chief, I employed financial institutions, one of which was situated in California. I was oblivious to the need for licensing. However, I am now well-informed.”
While Salame has pleaded guilty to the criminal accusations, Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Raymond has signified his intention to propose probation. This comes after the forthcoming criminal trial of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), set to commence on October 3.
Fourth FTX Executive Salame’s Legal Proceedings and Consequences
Additionally, Salame is anticipated to remit approximately $6 million in fines to the U.S. government. He will also pay in excess of $5 million to FTX creditors. Furthermore, he will relinquish ownership of two properties located in Massachusetts, along with a Porsche registered in his name.
As of the present moment, Salame remains at liberty on a $1 million bond. A potential sentencing date is scheduled for March 6, 2024—just a few days before the commencement of Bankman-Fried’s second criminal trial.
Notably, former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, FTX co-founder Gary Wang, and ex-FTX engineering director Nishad Singh admitted federal fraud charges. In contrast, SBF has pleaded not guilty.