Caroline Ellison, saying Sam Bankman-Fried corrupted her values, found relief when truth came out
By LARRY NEUMEISTER and KEN SWEET
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Sam Bankman-Fried’s former top executive has blamed the FTX founder of corrupting her values so that she could lie and steal and create false balance sheets. Wednesday was the second day on the witness stand for Caroline Ellison, the prosecution’s star witness at Bankman-Fried’s federal trial in Manhattan. Ellison pleaded guilty to fraud charges in a cooperation deal in December, when Bankman-Fried was extradited to the United States from the Bahamas after his cryptocurrency businesses collapsed. While testifying Wednesday, Ellison repeatedly blamed Bankman-Fried for directing fraudulent actions aimed at hiding billions of dollars that were being stolen from customers. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty.