David Mills, a colleague from Stanford Law School who assisted in the defense of disgraced FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried, expressed strong criticism, stating that Bankman-Fried “may be at the very top of the list as the worst person I’ve ever seen do a cross examination.”
Mills told Bloomberg that the former FTX CEO strayed from the prepared strategy during his testimony, deviating from the guidance of his lawyers and struggling with challenging questions from prosecutors during cross-examinations.
Moreover, Mills suggested that even with a different and improved performance, the trial’s outcome would likely have remained unchanged. He pointed to the pre-trial judge’s rulings and the testimony of prosecution witnesses, which, in his view, made the case “practically unwinnable” for the defense.
While Mills acknowledged the inevitability of the verdict, he also asserted that the trial was not conducted fairly. As a close friend of Bankman-Fried’s parents, Mills believes that Bankman-Fried is innocent, contending that he “didn’t form the intent to do anything wrong.”
