Bankman-Fried’s Criminal Case Assigned to Judge in Trump, Prince Andrew Cases

Former FTX chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried, who faces fraud charges over the collapse of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, walks from the Manhattan federal court after securing bail in New York on Dec. 22, 2022. Jeenah Moon/Reuters

Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal case over the collapse of his FTX cryptocurrency exchange has been reassigned to a judge recently known for handling defamation lawsuits against former President Donald Trump and a sexual abuse lawsuit against Britain’s Prince Andrew.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan replaces his colleague Ronnie Abrams, who recused herself on Friday after learning that the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, where her husband is a partner, advised FTX in 2021.