A federal judge in the Southern District of New York has denied Michelle Bond’s motion to dismiss campaign finance charges tied to money that allegedly flowed from FTX into her 2022 congressional run. The ruling keeps alive a case that traces a direct line from Sam Bankman-Fried’s collapsed empire into the machinery of American electoral politics.
Bond, who is married to former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame, was indicted on August 22, 2024, on four counts. Those counts include conspiracy to cause unlawful campaign contributions and excessive contributions, each carrying a potential penalty of up to five years in prison.
The alleged scheme
According to the indictment, Salame arranged a $400,000 payment from FTX to Bond, labeled as consulting fees, shortly after she announced her candidacy for New York’s 1st congressional district in the 2022 Republican primary. Prosecutors say that payment, along with additional personal wire transfers, was used to illegally finance her campaign.
Bond previously served as CEO of Digital Futures, a role that placed her squarely within the crypto industry’s orbit. Her campaign positioned her as a candidate with deep knowledge of digital assets.
