‘Arrogant’ Sam Bankman-Fried Ready To Be Extradited To U.S. To ‘Face The Music’: Reports

Disgraced FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is reportedly ready to “face the music” and be extradited to the U.S. where he faces a litany of financial criminal charges related to his actions at the now collapsed company.

FTX filed for bankruptcy last month after users discovered that the company was intertwined with sister firm Alameda Research; both were controlled by Bankman-Fried and a group of amateur executives working from a luxury penthouse in the Bahamas. The disgraced entrepreneur was arrested this week by authorities in the island nation, where his companies were headquartered, as U.S. securities regulators and federal law enforcement officials accused him of fraud.

Bloomberg News reported that SBF will “drop his fight against extradition to the U.S.” to face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to defraud the Federal Election Commission and commit campaign finance violations.

A prison official described SBF as “a little arrogant,” and seemingly “awfully scared” of being inside the Bahamas prison, known as Fox Hill, which was previously described by one prison officer as not being “fit for humanity.”

The disheveled 30-year-old reportedly spends his days watching entertainment shows and reading news articles about himself.

A 2021 U.S. State Department report on the prison described conditions inside as “harsh due to overcrowding, poor nutrition, inadequate sanitation, and inadequate medical care.”

“Prisoners reported infrequent access to nutritious meals and long delays between daily meals,” the report said. “Maximum-security cells for men measured approximately six feet by 10 feet and held up to six persons with no mattresses or toilet facilities. Inmates removed human waste by bucket. Prisoners complained of the lack of beds and bedding. Some inmates developed bedsores from lying on bare ground. Sanitation was a general problem, and cells were infested with rats, maggots, and insects. The government claimed to provide access to toilets and showers one hour a day to prisoners in maximum-security areas.”

“Individuals detained in jails complained they were denied access to medical care and food,” the report added. “The availability of and access to medical and psychological care were sporadic. Prisoners consistently complained that prison authorities did not take their health concerns seriously. Sick male inmates and male inmates with disabilities had inadequate access to the medical center.”

Prison tour today.

Check out @GuardianNassau for full tour video in a bit. pic.twitter.com/oGQnFetjcv

— Jasper Williams-Ward (@jasperward94) November 28, 2022

Ben Zeisloft contributed to this report.

Georgia Election Inquiry Into Trump Nears Critical Juncture

The Georgia investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and his allies illegally interfered in the 2020 election is approaching a stage where charges could be recommended.

An Atlanta-area special grand jury, requested by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, is nearing its end after multiple high-profile witnesses offered testimony, according to multiple reports.

The panel, which has the authority to subpoena witnesses and documents, but not to issues indictments, is now putting together a final report, which may include recommendations for criminal charges, sources told CNN.

A group of Fulton County judges would first review the report from the 23 jurors before Willis would make a decision about whether to pursue charges by impaneling a separate grand jury, per The Wall Street Journal.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and Trump’s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, are among those who testified before the grand jury after losing legal fights against subpoenas.

Willis, a Democrat, began her investigation after the surfacing of a phone call audio recording in which Trump pressed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes, enough to reverse his election loss to now-President Joe Biden in the state. Trump has defended the call as “perfect” and broadly rejected claims of wrongdoing.

The CNN report said the prosecutor’s investigation has expanded to examine election fraud claims made to state lawmakers, an alternate electors scheme, efforts to gain unauthorized access to voting machines, and threats to election workers. These alternate electors, along with Giuliani, have been informed they are targets of Willis’ investigation.

GOP officials have insisted in court filings that they did not break any laws and signed certificates declaring themselves as Trump electors to pave the way for Trump had legal challenges in Georgia managed to overturn the results, the Wall Street Journal report noted.

Trump, who last month announced a third bid for the White House, is separately under investigation by the federal government. Special counsel Jack Smith has been tasked with overseeing investigations into Trump’s handling of government documents after leaving office and circumstances leading up to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.