ChainCatcher news, FTX's former co-CEO Ryan Salame's partner Michelle Bond pleaded not guilty to four counts of campaign finance violations in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. These charges include conspiracy to cause illegal campaign contributions, causing and accepting excessive campaign contributions, causing and accepting illegal corporate contributions, and causing and accepting intermediary contributions.The charges stem from Bond's alleged concealment of funding sources during her 2022 campaign for a Republican seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is alleged that Salame arranged for FTX to pay $400,000 to fund her campaign, while Bond is accused of making false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and congressional committees. Notably, Salame had previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 90 months in prison, but after Bond was indicted, he requested the court to withdraw his plea, claiming it was based on a promise from prosecutors not to investigate his partner. Judge Lewis Kaplan stated he would consider whether to withdraw Salame's plea.Currently, Bond remains free on a $1 million bail but is restricted to travel within the continental United States. Judge George Daniels has scheduled a pretrial conference for January 2025. In the criminal cases against FTX and Alameda Research, as of September 18, only Salame and SBF have been sentenced to imprisonment. Sentencing hearings for other implicated executives will take place in the coming months.

ChainCatcher News: A complaint made public on August 22 by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York reveals that Michelle Bond, the partner of former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame, has been charged with violating campaign finance laws.Prosecutors allege that Bond, along with an unnamed co-conspirator, illegally provided funds for her 2022 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. The indictment states that this co-conspirator may refer to Salame, who arranged a payment of $400,000. Bond is charged with conspiracy to cause illegal campaign contributions, causing and accepting excessive campaign contributions, causing and accepting illegal corporate contributions, and causing and accepting conduit contributions. The prosecution also alleges that she made false statements to the Federal Election Commission and congressional committees to cover up her and her co-conspirator's actions.Notably, Salame had previously pleaded guilty in September 2023 and was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, scheduled to report on October 13, and his attorney recently filed a motion to withdraw the guilty plea.