Ryan Salame, a former FTX executive, has recently opted to withdraw his petition to dismiss the indictment against Michelle Bond just before a crucial court hearing. This decision was communicated to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the Southern District of New York by Salame’s legal team in a letter dated Aug. 29. The withdrawal of the petition was stated to be “without prejudice,” allowing Bond to deal with the matter in her own legal proceedings.
Salame had previously been sentenced to 90 months in prison in May 2024 after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges, which included running an unlicensed money-transmitting business and making illegal political contributions. Bond, who is a former congressional candidate, is accused of collaborating with Salame, her boyfriend, to fund her 2022 campaign unlawfully. Despite Salame’s initial filing of the petition on Aug. 21, seeking a writ of error coram nobis or an alternative writ of audita querela, he chose to retract it.
The main argument put forward by Salame was that his guilty plea, entered in May during negotiations that resulted in a hefty prison sentence, was based on the false belief that prosecutors would not pursue further actions against Bond. However, the government swiftly refuted these claims, asserting that the investigation into Bond’s alleged activities was ongoing and distinct from the charges brought against Salame.
Salame’s withdrawal of the petition represents a strategic shift in his legal approach to the case. Despite highlighting that this move does not signify any alteration in his view of the case’s facts, Salame’s defense team deemed it more prudent to have the issues raised in the petition adjudicated within Bond’s case, where they would hold greater relevance.
With the indictment against Bond being formally docketed on August 22, 2024, and her case progressing under Judge George B. Daniels, Salame’s decision to step back allows Bond to independently address the raised issues. The withdrawal of the petition ensures a smoother legal trajectory for Bond’s case without potential complications that Salame’s petition might have introduced.
The withdrawal of Ryan Salame’s petition serves as a significant turning point in Michelle Bond’s legal proceedings, providing her with the opportunity to address the allegations against her free from external legal entanglements.
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