Deaton Urges Bondi to Reopen FTX Case, Oppose SBF Cut Firmly

XRP Lawyer Deaton Cautions Against “Rewriting History” as Ellison Nears Early Release

  • John Deaton urged former Florida AG Pam Bondi to reopen the campaign finance case tied to FTX and oppose reducing Sam Bankman‑Fried‘s 25‑year sentence.
  • The initial campaign finance charge was dropped in 2023 after Bahamian authorities declined extradition on that count.
  • Former Alameda Research co‑CEO Caroline Ellison, who cooperated with prosecutors, is set for early release on January 21, 2026, after serving part of her sentence.
  • John J. Ray III said Ellison provided “valuable assistance and cooperation”, aiding creditor recoveries worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

John Deaton, an XRP community attorney and U.S. Senate candidate, asked former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to revisit the campaign finance prosecution tied to FTX. On X, Deaton posted his objection to reducing Sam Bankman‑Fried‘s sentence, warning against what he called an attempt to "rewrite history" (https://x.com/JohnEDeaton1/status/2004356302898901027?s=20).

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Deaton made the comments as former Alameda Research co‑CEO Caroline Ellison nears early release from federal custody on January 21, 2026. Ellison pleaded guilty in December 2022 to fraud and conspiracy connected to the collapse of FTX and cooperated with prosecutors. In September 2024, Judge Lewis Kaplan sentenced Ellison to two years and ordered restitution of more than $11 billion.

The initial U.S. campaign finance allegation said Bankman‑Fried used customer funds to channel tens of millions of dollars in political donations through straw donors to evade federal limits. That charge was dropped in 2023 after Bahamian officials did not agree to extradition on the count.

John J. Ray III, CEO of the FTX bankruptcy estate, said Ellison provided "valuable assistance and cooperation", which helped creditors recover hundreds of millions of dollars. Ellison has been on community confinement since October 2025 and accepted a 10‑year ban from serving as an officer or director of public companies or crypto exchanges.

Definition — campaign finance fraud: the illegal use of funds or deceptive practices to influence elections or bypass contribution limits.
Definition — community confinement: a form of supervised custody where an individual lives in a designated facility or residence under restrictions and monitoring.

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Deaton has a public presence on X (https://x.com/JohnEDeaton1). At the time of reporting, Bitcoin (BTC) traded near $88,571, up about 1.2% over the prior day.

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