Former FTX Executive Ryan Salame Accuses Biden DOJ of Political Persecution in Explosive Allegations
Another crypto heavyweight is clashing with the feds—and this time, the gloves are off.
Regulatory Theater or Real Threat?
Ryan Salame, once a top lieutenant at the collapsed FTX exchange, is firing back at the Department of Justice. His claim? That the charges against him are less about justice and more about political point-scoring by the Biden administration. It's a move that sends a chill through the industry, raising the specter of regulation being wielded as a weapon.
The High-Stakes Blame Game
The courtroom battle is shaping up to be a defining moment. Salame's defense hinges on painting the DOJ's actions as a targeted campaign, a narrative that could resonate with crypto advocates who view Washington with deep suspicion. The strategy is bold: reframe the legal proceedings from a simple case of fraud to a broader political conflict.
Why This Fight Matters for Your Portfolio
Beyond the headlines, this isn't just legal drama. It's a signal flare about the regulatory environment for the next four years. A win for Salame's argument could embolden other execs and reshape how crypto companies engage with—or defy—federal agencies. A loss could see the DOJ's reach grow longer and its grip tighter.
It's the oldest play in the book: when you can't win on the facts, attack the process. Sometimes, it even works—just ask any banker who survived the 2008 hearings with a bonus intact.
Ex-FTX executive claims political persecution
Salame’s 90-month prison sentence, handed down by Judge Lewis Kaplan, was more than the five to seven years prosecutors had recommended.
His allegations center on claims that he was singled out for prosecution because of his Republican political donations. Salame contributed $23 million to mostly Republican candidates and groups during the midterm elections, making him an outlier in Bankman-Fried’s predominantly Democratic-leaning inner circle.
In his post, Salame claimed he provided evidence that his loans from Alameda Research were properly documented by lawyers and that he consulted tax advisers to ensure compliance. He questioned why prosecutors WOULD target him as a straw donor when his net worth was in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Did Biden DOJ threaten Salame’s family?
The most serious allegation concerns prosecutor Danielle Sassoon’s handling of plea negotiations. Salame wrote, “When I said I was going to take my case to trial the corrupt prosecutor Danielle Sassoon came back and said they’d drop an investigation into my pregnant wife if I pled guilty.”
He alleged that “Sassoon held herself out as an ethical representative of the U.S. JUSTICE department and has since gone further and lied about it under oath,” adding that the department proceeded to charge Bond anyway, despite his cooperation.
Bond was indicted in August 2024 over campaign finance violations related to her unsuccessful 2022 congressional run. The indictment alleged that she received a $400,000 payment from FTX, arranged by Salame, and then lied to “Congress and others to cover it all up,” according to the Department of Justice press release.
Bond, who has pleaded not guilty, is fighting the charges on the grounds that prosecutors reneged on their agreement, claiming Sassoon got her a plea from Salame “by stealth and deception.”
However, at a November 2025 hearing, Sassoon reportedly said that she’s not in the business of “gotcha” or tricking people into pleading guilty.
She testified that she believed Salame’s lawyers used the suggestion of a deal as a “negotiating tactic” and insisted she never promised immunity for Bond. She told the court that if the lawyers truly believed prosecutors had made such a promise, “they would have made it directly to me.”
High praise for Trump DOJ
Salame praised the current administration, stating, “The TRUMP Justice Department has put out a policy statement to ensure that this type of lawfare doesn’t happen again, but many remain in prison under it.”
The case brings to light the political undertone that also arose from the FTX collapse, which saw Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating one of the largest financial frauds in American history.
While other cooperating witnesses received lighter treatment, Salame’s decision not to testify against his former boss may have resulted in the harshest sentence among the executive team.
“I tried to save my family from the monsters under Biden’s corrupt justice system that I thought only existed in banana republics,” Salame wrote. “I may be in prison, but I hold my head high!”
The DOJ is yet to comment on Salame’s allegations.
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