FTX's Bankman-Fried, seeking to avoid jail, denies witness tampering

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Sam Bankman-Fried, the indicted founder of the bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange, on Tuesday said he never sought to intimidate witnesses at his scheduled October fraud trial, and there is no reason to jail him.

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan, Bankman-Fried said prosecutors mischaracterized his intentions in giving a New York Times reporter the writings of former romantic partner Caroline Ellison, who is expected to testify against him.