Michelle Bond faces criminal trial on illicit campaign finance charges after a Manhattan federal judge rejected her claim of prosecutorial immunity. Judge George Daniels ruled there was no ambiguity in former FTX executive Ryan Salame’s plea agreement and confirmed the government never promised to shield Bond from prosecution.
Bond argued prosecutors verbally assured her safety if Salame pleaded guilty. However, the court found this assertion undisputably false, noting even Bond’s former attorney testified under oath that no such promise was made. Salame is currently serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for illegal political contributions and operating an unlicensed money transmitter.
Prosecutors allege Bond orchestrated a sham consulting agreement with FTX to funnel $400,000 into her unsuccessful 2022 congressional campaign. She faces four felony counts, including conspiracy and straw donor violations, each carrying a maximum five-year prison term. This ruling likely sets the stage for the final criminal trial stemming from the FTX collapse.