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Will S.B.F. Cut a Deal?

A close reading of the latest developments and looming mysteries: Can S.B.F. flip on a politician? Is Ryan Salame the next FTX insider to plead guilty? What will happen to the parents, Barbara and Joe, and to the brother, G.B.F? And will the case even make it to trial?

Prosecutors may see the case against Sam Bankman-Fried as Bernie Madoff 2.0, but S.B.F.’s got good lawyers.
Prosecutors may see the case against Sam Bankman-Fried as Bernie Madoff 2.0, but S.B.F.’s got good lawyers. Photo: Gotham/GC Images
Theodore Schleifer
&
Eriq Gardner
March 7, 2023

Longtime readers know that I have been obsessing over the campaign-finance dimension of the federal case against Sam Bankman-Fried. And I’m even worse in private: Ever since S.B.F.’s arrest, I’ve been consulting my partner Eriq Gardner, Puck’s resident legal expert, who has a far richer understanding of the pre-trial issues and defense strategy. Eriq and I chatted about the legal risk facing Gabe Bankman-Fried, the odds that Sam himself strikes a plea deal before his October trial, and whether or not the lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell have any power when running parallel to the mighty Department of Justice.