Sam Bankman-Fried has withdrawn his request for a new trial in federal court while continuing to pursue an appeal of his conviction and a bid to have a different judge oversee proceedings.
The former FTX chief filed the withdrawal in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York after being questioned about whether he received legal assistance in submitting a pro se motion.
“I am the author of this letter, but did consult with my parents about it, since it concerns both of them,”
Bankman-Fried said in the filing.
He added that he chose to withdraw the motion because he had focused on responding to the court’s questions and did not believe he would receive a fair hearing before the current judge.
Bankman-Fried has separately argued that Judge Lewis Kaplan demonstrated “extreme prejudice” and has requested reassignment, while also maintaining his appeal before a higher court.
The case stems from his 2023 conviction on fraud and related charges tied to the misuse of customer funds at FTX, which led to a 25-year prison sentence and his current incarceration in California.
Since his sentencing, Bankman-Fried has continued to make public statements and has signalled interest in seeking a presidential pardon, though such a possibility has been publicly dismissed.