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HOUSE PASSES SPENDING BILL!
GOVERNMENT TO REOPEN THURSDAY!
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
Mere 33% Approve of Trump!
Approval of the way Trump is managing the government has dropped sharply since early in his second term, according to a new AP-NORC poll, with much of the rising discontent coming from fellow Republicans.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
PEDOPHILE TRUMP!?!
Jeffrey Epstein wrote Trump 'knew about the girls', referencing Mar-a-Lago, in newly released emails
House Democrats obtained the emails from Epstein's estate as part of the committee's investigation into the late sex offender's case
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
nbcnews.com/politics/donald-tr…
Jeffrey Epstein wrote Trump 'knew about the girls', referencing Mar-a-Lago, in newly released emails
WASHINGTON — Jeffrey Epstein referenced President Donald Trump in emails to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and a journalist, claiming in one that Trump "knew about the girls," according to emails released by House DemocratsMegan Lebowitz (NBC News)
BREAKING NEWS 💥
Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein referred to Donald Trump as the "dog that hasn't barked" and told his former companion Ghislaine Maxwell that an alleged victim had "spent hours at my house" with Trump, according to email correspondence released Wednesday by Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews #epstein
abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-…
House Democrats release new Epstein emails referencing Trump
One of the emails is a 2011 message between Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.James Hill (ABC News)
Jeffrey Epstein mentioned good friend Donald Trump multiple times in private emails, new release shows
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
cnn.com/2025/11/12/politics/ep…
Trump Kicks Americans in the Groin....
Trump says H-1B visa holders are essential because there aren’t enough talented Americans.
Laura: "We have plenty of talented people here!"
Trump: "No, you don't.."
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
BREAKING NEWS
United Kingdom halts intelligence sharing with the US following Trump's strikes on alleged drug boats in Venezuela.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
TRUMP CRIME FAMILY
Trump sends letter to Israeli President Herzog asking him to pardon Prime Minister Netanyahu.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Israel
Starving Kids & Seniors!
Trump far-right Supreme Court extends SNAP payment pause over Jackson’s objection
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
House gears up for vote to end government shutdown.
A vote series is slated to begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
usatoday.com/story/news/politi…
House gears up for vote to end government shutdown. Live updates
The House of Representatives will hold a vote to reopen the government on Wednesday., USA TODAY (USA TODAY)
Trump plan would open California to offshore oil drilling
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
Utah judge rejects GOP redistricting effort, approving new map with a Democratic seat
The ruling is a blow to Republicans, who had drawn a court-ordered map designed to protect Utah's all-GOP congressional delegation.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
nbcnews.com/politics/elections…
Utah judge rejects GOP redistricting effort, approving new map with a Democratic seat
A Utah judge rejected new congressional district lines drawn by Republican state lawmakers, instead approving a new map drawing a solidly Democratic seat with voters from Salt Lake City that's likely to flip in next year's midterms.Jane C. Timm (NBC News)
Investigation launched into Trump’s 'illegal and unconstitutional effort to steal’ $230 million from taxpayers
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
knewz.com/investigation-launch…
Investigation launched into Trump’s unconstitutional effort to steal
Two senior House Democrats are accusing President Donald Trump of attempting to unlawfully divert $230 million in taxpayer funds to himself.Samyarup Chowdhury (Knewz)
High Cost of Tariffs the Reason For 150 Store Closures!
Carter’s, which sells clothing and footwear for babies, toddlers, and young children, plans to shutter approximately 150 stores over the next three years, the company revealed in its latest earnings report. Additionally, 300 office-based positions will also be slashed.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
How come criminal psychopaths now run the place?
No more than 1% of the popn & typically marginalised by their communities, today's criminal psychopaths have organised to an unprecedented level (via the internet, for all its goods).
For psychopaths, power is everything. Money is just a means to it.
They have no empathy, so no conscience
The disorder is incurable; only we can stop them
Even chimps throw out bully leaders
independentaustralia.net/polit…
#USPol #Europol #psychopathy #oligarchy .
Sociopaths and why we elect them
Trump's supporters have fallen for his narcissistic, sociopathic traits – voting for him because they believe he is a hero and the only person equipped to save America.Independent Australia
Sometimes it is worth calling your Senators to say thank you when they do the right thing. Both of my Senators stood tough on the cloture vote to fight for the ACA subsidies, so I wanted to make sure they got my thanks for that.
I sincerely hope so much that within some years #MAGA will be just a very dirty stain in the #US history
It's gonna take a looot longer to restore everything the dictator has broken I know, but let's hope MAGA will become such a dirty word like nazi's because they're the same thing
And yes I went there:
MAGA = NSDAP = NAZI
We need 2000 EUR that we simply don't have for an emergency extraction in the next 48 hours. I don't know what we do if we don't raise it. We have to have them out of country then. And it's a dangerous country.
Please, if you can, help us with this.
transrescue.org/donations/dona…
@lgbtqia
@lgbtq@newsmast.community
@lgbt
@LGBTQ@kbin.social
@queer
@QueerNewsat
@QueerNews_2024
#trans #TransRights
#USPol #UKPol
#Trans #Refugee #Migration #Africa #MiddleEast #Genocide #Transgender #TransRightsAreHumanRights
#neveragainisnow
TRUMP THREATENS BBC
Trump warns BBC of legal action in letter sent to BBC
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #bbc
Tell Trump that I go free or I'll talk!
Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell plans to seek commutation from Trump, whistleblower says
The whistleblower came forward with the information to Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
nbcnews.com/politics/politics-…
Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell plans to seek commutation from Trump, whistleblower says
Ghislaine Maxwell, the co-conspirator of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is in the process of seeking a commutation of her 20-year prison sentence from President Donald Trump, a whistleblower has told House Democrats.Ryan Nobles (NBC News)
TRUMP CRIME FAMILY
Trump pardoned Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, and over a dozen others charged with attempting to interfere with 2020 U.S. election results
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
share.newsbreak.com/futdcjk5
Court rules Trump administration violated First Amendment with out-of-office messages - NewsBreak
Emails the Trump administration auto-sent violated First Amendment rights, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Friday.NewsBreak
No Proof | No Evidence Given
US strikes alleged drug-carrying vessels in Pacific on Sunday, killing all six on board
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
Who are the eight moderate Democrats voting for the government shutdown deal?
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #democrats #Breaking #BreakingNews
Trump Bans Fellow Fat People!
Trump Says U.S. Visas Can Be Denied to Fat People From Now On
New State Department guidance encourages embassies and consulates to deny visas to people with obesity.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
newrepublic.com/post/202898/tr…
Trump Says U.S. Visas Can Be Denied to Fat People From Now On
New State Department guidance encourages embassies and consulates to deny visas to people with obesity or other health issues.The New Republic
Trump Rips Families Apart!
Nearly a dozen cars surrounded a car wash in the Boston neighborhood of Allston-Brighton where masked agents blocked entrances and prohibited anyone from leaving.
They quickly detained nine people working outside during the raid, including six women, while kids inside the car wash watched as their mother was taken away
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
leftvoice.org/ice-agents-kidna…
ICE Agents Kidnap Nine People Working at Car Wash in Boston - Left Voice
ICE carried out its biggest workplace raid in Massachusetts so far, kidnapping nine workers at a car wash in the neighborhood of Allston-Brighton.Adrien Masson (Left Voice)
20 MILLION AMERICANS may be kicked off their health insurance next month due to the Trump/Republican block of health insurance subsidies!
Skyrocketing ACA premiums force enrollees to make tough decisions
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews #aca
TRUMP CRIME FAMILY
Trump pardons Rudy Giuliani and others involved in bid to overturn 2020 election, pardon attorney says
The pardons may be largely symbolic as none of the people listed were convicted of federal crimes, which the presidential pardon covers.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
Trump pardons Rudy Giuliani and others involved in bid to overturn 2020 election, pardon attorney says - NewsBreak
President Donald Trump has pardoned Rudy Giuliani and scores of others accused of involvement in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, TruNewsBreak
"Truly, the most immoral, corrupt, evil politician ever to darken our doorway!"
— Aure
Donald Trump is telling states to TAKE BACK any food aid funding that was disbursed to states.
USDA tells states to 'undo' issuing any SNAP benefits
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
abcnews.go.com/Politics/live-u…
Government shutdown updates: USDA tells states to 'undo' issuing any SNAP benefits
White House threatens to impose financial penalties on states that do not “comply” quickly with its new orders to reverse steps they've taken to issue SNAP benefits.Kevin Shalvey (ABC News)
Deep inside-baseball coverage of fallout from the Dems big election night. This is the kind of thing I subscribe to TPM for: talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/t…
The Insider Politics Sheets Are Scurrying for New Conventional Wisdom
One of the most important things to understand about politics is the danger of literalism, assuming the straightforward meanings are the important ones.Josh Marshall (TPM - Talking Points Memo)
‘People are really hurting’: From airports to grocery stores, shutdown leaves Americans scrambling
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
This is an important, eloquent piece by @aphyr - worth a boost I’d say: aphyr.com/posts/397-i-want-you…
What he wants you to understand is the experience of being under siege by the secret police.
TRUMP'S TRAVEL NIGHTMARE!
Travelers face mounting delays as FAA cuts snarl major airports
Up to 20% of flights may be canceled if the Trump shutdown continues.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-…
Live updates: Airlines cut flights, cancellations mount as government shutdown disrupts travel — latest on impact
Follow live updates on delays, cancellations, and FAA impacts as airlines cut flights amid the government shutdown.NBC News
The Trump regime granted Hungary a one-year exemption from sanctions on Russian oil and gas at Orbán’s request
A White House official said that in return, Hungary agreed to purchase about $600 million worth of U.S. liquefied natural gas
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
TRUMP CRIME FAMILY
Serbian Lawmakers Approve Luxury Trump Hotel on Historic Bombing Site
The Serbian Parliament approved a new law Friday to tear down an architectural landmark that NATO bombed in 1999, stripping it of cultural protections and clearing the way for President Trump’s family to replace it with a luxury hotel.
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #serbia #Breaking #BreakingNews
SNAP court rulings add to shutdown’s food assistance chaos
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol
BREAKING NEWS
Senators to work through the weekend on shutdown as Republicans and Democrats are still far apart
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
FAR-RIGHT SUPREMES TOW TRUMP'S LINE - DISGUSTING!
Supreme Court allows Trump administration to temporarily withhold some SNAP payments for November
Shortly after telling states that the food assistance program would be fully funded, the administration asked the Supreme Court to step in
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
nbcnews.com/politics/politics-…
Supreme Court allows Trump admin to temporarily withhold some SNAP payments for November
Shortly after telling states that the food assistance program would be fully funded, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to step in.Aria Bendix (NBC News)
BREAKING NEWS
Judge permanently bars Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Portland in response to immigration protests
#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #GOP #Politics #uspolitics #uspol #Breaking #BreakingNews
nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge…
Judge permanently bars Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Portland in response to immigration protests
A federal judge in Oregon on Friday issued a permanent injunction barring the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard on the streets of Portland in response to protests against the president's immigration policies.Dareh Gregorian (NBC News)
Days after one of these banking groups submitted their letter with a list of all of Coinbase’s regulatory violations in the US and Europe over the last five years, Coinbase was fined $25 million in Ireland for transaction monitoring failures.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
![The Central Bank of Ireland has fined Coinbase €21.5 million (~$24.9 million) for failures in its anti-money laundering and counterterrorism transaction monitoring programs from 2021 to 2025.
Coinbase Europe has been fined due to faults in the configuration of their transaction monitoring system, which resulted in more than 30 million transactions not being properly monitored over a 12-month period. The value of these transactions amounted to over €176 billion, and accounted for approximately 31% of all Coinbase Europe transactions conducted in the period when the faults existed. Further, it took Coinbase Europe almost three years to fully complete the monitoring of the impacted transactions. This subsequent monitoring led to the reporting of 2,708 [Suspicious Transaction Report]s to the FIU for further analysis and potential investigation. The STRs submitted in respect of the late monitoring of the transactions contained suspicions associated with serious criminal activities including: money laundering; fraud/scams; drug trafficking; cyber-attacks (malware/ransomware); and child sexual exploitation.
Coinbase Europe had outsourced its transaction monitoring to Coinbase Inc., its American counterpart.17](https://inne.city/photo/preview/640/2087487 "The Central Bank of Ireland has fined Coinbase €21.5 million (~$24.9 million) for failures in its anti-money laundering and counterterrorism transaction monitoring programs from 2021 to 2025.
Coinbase Europe has been fined due to faults in the configuration of their transaction monitoring system, which resulted in more than 30 million transactions not being properly monitored over a 12-month period. The value of these transactions amounted to over €176 billion, and accounted for approximately 31% of all Coinbase Europe transactions conducted in the period when the faults existed. Further, it took Coinbase Europe almost three years to fully complete the monitoring of the impacted transactions. This subsequent monitoring led to the reporting of 2,708 [Suspicious Transaction Report]s to the FIU for further analysis and potential investigation. The STRs submitted in respect of the late monitoring of the transactions contained suspicions associated with serious criminal activities including: money laundering; fraud/scams; drug trafficking; cyber-attacks (malware/ransomware); and child sexual exploitation.
Coinbase Europe had outsourced its transaction monitoring to Coinbase Inc., its American counterpart.17")
Coinbase is facing some opposition from banking groups over its national trust bank charter application. “This Application fails to meet statutory chartering standards, presents compounding safety and soundness risks, and would set a dangerous precedent for the structure of the U.S. banking system,” wrote the Independent Community Bankers of America.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
![Meanwhile, Coinbase is facing some opposition from banks over its application for a national trust bank charter [I95]. The Independent Community Bankers of America, the main trade group for community banks, submitted a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency expressing their position that the Coinbase National Trust Company has “demonstrably flawed risk and control functions while operating under a governance structure that prevents independent oversight” and “would struggle to achieve and maintain profitability during crypto bear markets, the very time at which the similarly concentrated Coinbase would be least able to provide support”. They also write that “The OCC’s untested receivership framework would struggle to resolve an uninsured institution of CNTC’s proposed scale and operational complexity, particularly given the technical challenges of crypto custody and CNTC’s likely importance as a dominant crypto ETF custodian.” The letter cites multiple recent enforcement actions by US and UK regulators against the Coinbase and the company’s May 2025 disclosure of a major cybersecurity breach [I84] as evidence of “a continuous pattern of compliance and operational failures. Indeed, over the past five years, Coinbase has never had a year without being subject to an enforcement action, spanning multiple jurisdictions (US, UK) and regulatory domains (BSA/AML, licensing, market integrity).” (Another enforcement action against Coinbase in Ireland, which I will desc](https://inne.city/photo/preview/640/2087475 "Meanwhile, Coinbase is facing some opposition from banks over its application for a national trust bank charter [I95]. The Independent Community Bankers of America, the main trade group for community banks, submitted a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency expressing their position that the Coinbase National Trust Company has “demonstrably flawed risk and control functions while operating under a governance structure that prevents independent oversight” and “would struggle to achieve and maintain profitability during crypto bear markets, the very time at which the similarly concentrated Coinbase would be least able to provide support”. They also write that “The OCC’s untested receivership framework would struggle to resolve an uninsured institution of CNTC’s proposed scale and operational complexity, particularly given the technical challenges of crypto custody and CNTC’s likely importance as a dominant crypto ETF custodian.” The letter cites multiple recent enforcement actions by US and UK regulators against the Coinbase and the company’s May 2025 disclosure of a major cybersecurity breach [I84] as evidence of “a continuous pattern of compliance and operational failures. Indeed, over the past five years, Coinbase has never had a year without being subject to an enforcement action, spanning multiple jurisdictions (US, UK) and regulatory domains (BSA/AML, licensing, market integrity).” (Another enforcement action against Coinbase in Ireland, which I will desc")
![Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, was furious at the ICBA’s submission, writing on Twitter, “Imagine opposing a regulated trust charter because you prefer crypto to stay … unregulated. That’s ICBA’s position. It’s another case of bank lobbyists trying to dig regulatory moats to protect their own. From undoing a law to go after rewards to blocking charters, protectionism isn’t consumer protection.”14 His statement was met with mixed responses, with some agreeing with his claim that traditional banks were seeking to exclude competitors. Others were more skeptical. “Imagine approving an application that fails to meet statutory chartering standards so that your latest DeFi scamcoin has some air of legitimacy,” replied one commenter.15 “Says the co[mpany] encouraging clients to take on 10x-50x leverage. ‘Trust me, bro.’” wrote another.16](https://inne.city/photo/preview/640/2087479 "Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, was furious at the ICBA’s submission, writing on Twitter, “Imagine opposing a regulated trust charter because you prefer crypto to stay … unregulated. That’s ICBA’s position. It’s another case of bank lobbyists trying to dig regulatory moats to protect their own. From undoing a law to go after rewards to blocking charters, protectionism isn’t consumer protection.”14 His statement was met with mixed responses, with some agreeing with his claim that traditional banks were seeking to exclude competitors. Others were more skeptical. “Imagine approving an application that fails to meet statutory chartering standards so that your latest DeFi scamcoin has some air of legitimacy,” replied one commenter.15 “Says the co[mpany] encouraging clients to take on 10x-50x leverage. ‘Trust me, bro.’” wrote another.16")
The crypto-focused Custodia Bank has lost its appeal of a 2024 court ruling that found that the firm was not entitled to a Federal Reserve master account. “We reject Custodia’s attempt to impair the Fed’s ability to safeguard our nation’s financial system”, wrote the judges.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
![In regulators
Custodia Bank has lost its appeal of a 2024 court ruling that found that the firm was not entitled to a Federal Reserve master account. In the original decision, Judge Scott Skavdahl opined, “If Custodia’s position was correct, it would effectively mean that every depository institution chartered under the laws of a state, regardless of how soundly crafted, is entitled to a master account allowing it direct access to the federal financial system.” [I54]. This decision was affirmed in a 2–1 opinion in the Tenth Circuit, which concluded, “the plain language of the relevant statutes grants Federal Reserve Banks discretion to reject master account access requests from eligible entities and, therefore, we reject Custodia’s attempt to impair the Fed’s ability to safeguard our nation’s financial system through the exercise of discretion to reject master account access.”9 Custodia has nevertheless celebrated that one judge disagreed with the conclusion, and has claimed that there is a circuit split that could qualify them for rehearing.10](https://inne.city/photo/preview/640/2087471 "In regulators
Custodia Bank has lost its appeal of a 2024 court ruling that found that the firm was not entitled to a Federal Reserve master account. In the original decision, Judge Scott Skavdahl opined, “If Custodia’s position was correct, it would effectively mean that every depository institution chartered under the laws of a state, regardless of how soundly crafted, is entitled to a master account allowing it direct access to the federal financial system.” [I54]. This decision was affirmed in a 2–1 opinion in the Tenth Circuit, which concluded, “the plain language of the relevant statutes grants Federal Reserve Banks discretion to reject master account access requests from eligible entities and, therefore, we reject Custodia’s attempt to impair the Fed’s ability to safeguard our nation’s financial system through the exercise of discretion to reject master account access.”9 Custodia has nevertheless celebrated that one judge disagreed with the conclusion, and has claimed that there is a circuit split that could qualify them for rehearing.10")
The White House is now trying to walk back President Trump’s statements about not knowing who he just pardoned by claiming that Trump merely meant he doesn’t have a personal relationship with Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
One of the founders of the Samourai Wallet mixing software has received the maximum sentence — five years. Like Tornado Cash, the case centered on arguments over whether the developers were creating privacy preserving technology or intentionally facilitating criminal activity.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
![Samourai Wallet
Privacy advocates in the crypto world have been closely watching the Samourai Wallet case [I56, 57, 83, 84, 90], with many comparing it to the highly controversial prosecution of Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm [Tornado]. The Samourai Wallet founders, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business in exchange for prosecutors dropping the more severe money laundering conspiracy charge, have maintained that they were merely developing privacy-preserving software, and that they were not responsible for criminal use of the software. Prosecutors have argued that the developers actively intended the software to be used for criminal purposes, pointing to marketing aimed at “Dark/Grey Market participants” and those engaged in “Illicit activity”.
Prosecutors have sought a five-year sentence for the two founders — the statutory maximum for the charge — and Keonne Rodriguez received that full sentence, plus a $250,000 fine. Rodriguez has already paid $6.3 million in forfeiture. Judge Cote cited a letter to the court in which Rodriguez continued to say that he was merely motivated by a desire to protect financial privacy and not “a desire to facilitate criminal activity” as evidence that Rodriguez “has not come to terms with what he did. ... The letter indicated to me that you were very much still operating in a world with moral blinders on.”6 William Lonergan Hill, Rodriguez’s cofounder, will be sentenced later this m](https://inne.city/photo/preview/640/2087465 "Samourai Wallet
Privacy advocates in the crypto world have been closely watching the Samourai Wallet case [I56, 57, 83, 84, 90], with many comparing it to the highly controversial prosecution of Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm [Tornado]. The Samourai Wallet founders, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business in exchange for prosecutors dropping the more severe money laundering conspiracy charge, have maintained that they were merely developing privacy-preserving software, and that they were not responsible for criminal use of the software. Prosecutors have argued that the developers actively intended the software to be used for criminal purposes, pointing to marketing aimed at “Dark/Grey Market participants” and those engaged in “Illicit activity”.
Prosecutors have sought a five-year sentence for the two founders — the statutory maximum for the charge — and Keonne Rodriguez received that full sentence, plus a $250,000 fine. Rodriguez has already paid $6.3 million in forfeiture. Judge Cote cited a letter to the court in which Rodriguez continued to say that he was merely motivated by a desire to protect financial privacy and not “a desire to facilitate criminal activity” as evidence that Rodriguez “has not come to terms with what he did. ... The letter indicated to me that you were very much still operating in a world with moral blinders on.”6 William Lonergan Hill, Rodriguez’s cofounder, will be sentenced later this m")
Lawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried and for the US government appeared in court to argue whether Bankman-Fried’s conviction should be overturned. SBF argued that he was improperly prohibited from presenting arguments around FTX’s solvency and the advice of his lawyers.
It may be several months before the judges come to a decision, but they seemed skeptical of Bankman-Fried’s arguments during questioning. “[Y]ou just have this vague, you know, ‘there were attorneys out there somewhere,’ defense,” said one of the judges.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics #FTX #SBF
![Addressing the solvency claims, the judges reminded Bankman-Fried’s defense team that a crime is not absolved simply because victims are ultimately made whole. A government prosecutor argued that the evidence against Bankman-Fried was conclusive, and that several of his fellow executives testified that he knowingly misappropriated customer funds to use on investments or political expenditures. And a recent Supreme Court case closed off one of Bankman-Fried’s avenues of argument around intent, with an opinion in Kousisis v. United States earlier this year ruling that a person who fraudulently induces a victim into a transaction can still be convicted of fraud even if they didn’t intend to cause the victim to lose money.34
On the topic of legal advice, the judges questioned why Bankman-Fried opted not to bring an advice-of-counsel defense during the trial if they wished to claim Bankman-Fried was operating in good faith but led astray by bad legal advice. As I wrote shortly before the trial, there was likely a reason he didn’t opt to formally advance this defense:
[T]hey've stopped short of bringing a formal advice-of-counsel defense, which would require them to show that Bankman-Fried gave his lawyers a full understanding of what he intended to do, then dutifully followed their advice in doing it. This is typically a tricky defense to pull off, and his team may have decided against pursuing it due to concerns that those lawyers could respond by sharing documents that further](https://inne.city/photo/preview/640/2087459 "Addressing the solvency claims, the judges reminded Bankman-Fried’s defense team that a crime is not absolved simply because victims are ultimately made whole. A government prosecutor argued that the evidence against Bankman-Fried was conclusive, and that several of his fellow executives testified that he knowingly misappropriated customer funds to use on investments or political expenditures. And a recent Supreme Court case closed off one of Bankman-Fried’s avenues of argument around intent, with an opinion in Kousisis v. United States earlier this year ruling that a person who fraudulently induces a victim into a transaction can still be convicted of fraud even if they didn’t intend to cause the victim to lose money.34
On the topic of legal advice, the judges questioned why Bankman-Fried opted not to bring an advice-of-counsel defense during the trial if they wished to claim Bankman-Fried was operating in good faith but led astray by bad legal advice. As I wrote shortly before the trial, there was likely a reason he didn’t opt to formally advance this defense:
[T]hey've stopped short of bringing a formal advice-of-counsel defense, which would require them to show that Bankman-Fried gave his lawyers a full understanding of what he intended to do, then dutifully followed their advice in doing it. This is typically a tricky defense to pull off, and his team may have decided against pursuing it due to concerns that those lawyers could respond by sharing documents that further")
Newsletter: Sam Bankman-Fried makes his case for a retrial and aspiring crypto banks hit roadblocks
