- Lawyers Mark Mukasey and Torrey Young will represent Alex Mashinsky in court.
- They were reportedly hired by ex-CEO of the FTX exchange Sam Bankman-Fried in January.
- Mashinsky hopes that the final SBF verdict will be handed down before his case is heard.
Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of cryptocurrency lender Celsius, has recused himself from any potential conflicts of interest in his court case. This is reported by Bloomberg with reference to court documents.
Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky said he was comfortable using the same lawyers as FTX founder Samuel Bankman-Fried to defend him against charges that he pumped up the price of his firm’s cryptocurrency https://t.co/Bl9EP6LOh3
- Bloomberg (@business) February 20, 2024
On February 20, 2024, Mashinsky informed a U.S. federal judge of his intention to use the services of attorneys Mark Mukasey and Torrey Young. A source claims they were previously hired by ex-CEO of bankrupt FTX exchange Sam Bankman Fried to represent him at sentencing.
Mashinsky said it was his first time in court and he is not an expert in the field. He is seeking lawyers to prove his innocence:
Judge: Celsius may claim to be a victim of Alameda Research, but your lawyers can’t use the documents. Do you understand?
Mashinsky: This is my first time in a court. I am not an expert in this space… I am spending money to prove my innocence…..
- Inner City Press (@innercitypress) February 20, 2024
“We can’t foresee the future. I’m assuming the Bankman-Fried sentence will be handed down before my trial,” ex-CEO Celsius said.
Prosecutors in the Mashinsky and Bankman-Fried cases have called for both hearings to be held in February to allay concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The U.S. government said Mashinsky partly blamed Alameda Research, a subsidiary of FTX, for the collapse of Celsius.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is expected to return to a New York courtroom on Feb. 21.
He is scheduled to answer questions from a federal judge about whether SBF was aware of potential conflicts of interest from attorneys he hired last month to represent him at his sentencing on March 28.
Recall that in 2022, a former Celsius executive was accused of providing false information about the company’s condition shortly before its bankruptcy. The latter disagreed with the statement and demanded that the case be closed.
In July 2023, the former Celsius CEO was arrested. He repeatedly demanded the dismissal of the charges of defrauding investors. Mashinsky’s trial, originally scheduled for the fall of 2024, was postponed to January 28, 2025 at the request of the parties.
