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The U.S. consumer agency, which enforces federal antitrust law, and 17 states filed their lawsuit against Amazon in Seattle federal court on Tuesday, asking a U.S. judge to consider an injunction and other penalties to combat alleged unlawful conduct. The FTC's lawsuit is related to but broader than a series of private consumer cases filed in recent years against Amazon that are pending in the same U.S. federal court. The private antitrust cases offer an early window into some of the legal arguments Amazon could be expected to make to challenge the FTC's lawsuit. Generally speaking, U.S. judges are "wary of using antitrust law to punish low-pricing behavior," said antitrust scholar Sean Sullivan of the University of Iowa's law school. Sullivan said it is not always a clear line between "good low pricing" — based on market competition — and "bad low pricing" that helps a company acquire or maintain market power.

Persons: Mike Segar, David Balto, Diane Hazel, Foley, Lardner, Hazel, Tom Cotter, David Zapolsky, Zapolsky, Lina Khan, Ricardo Martinez, Martinez, George W, Bush, Sean Sullivan, Sullivan, Mike Scarcella, Leigh Jones Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Federal Trade, Amazon.com, Amazon, Reuters, FTC, U.S, University of Minnesota Law School, District, University of, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, Seattle, Washington, Mt, Rainier

An American Airlines Airbus A321-200 plane takes off from Los Angeles International airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, U.S. March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 25 (Reuters) - American Airlines (AAL.O) on Monday appealed a U.S. court decision requiring it to end an alliance with JetBlue Airways (JBLU.O). U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled in May the airlines' "Northeast Alliance" that allowed the two carriers to coordinate flights and pool revenue violated antitrust law. JetBlue previously said it would not appeal as it seeks to protect a planned $3.8 billion purchase of Spirit Airlines (SAVE.N) that faces a separate legal challenge from the Justice Department. Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Blake, Leo Sorokin, David Shepardson, Chris Reese Organizations: American Airlines Airbus, Los Angeles International, REUTERS, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, U.S, District, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S

Cain's Sept. 22 order had been celebrated by the oil and gas industry, which had sued in August alongside the state of Louisiana over an earlier decision by the Interior Department to scale back the auction. Representatives for the Interior Department, environmental groups, the Louisiana attorney general's office and the American Petroleum Institute did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Interior Department finalized plans for a reduced lease sale in August, after last year's Inflation Reduction Act mandated the auction move forward. The sale made about 67 million acres in the Gulf available for bids. Those groups had claimed the whales can be harmed or killed by oil spills, vessel strikes, noise, marine debris and other impacts of oil and gas exploration and development.

Persons: Biden, James Cain's, Joe Biden, Nichola Groom, Clark Mindock, Sandra Maler, Alexia Garamfalvi, Richard Chang Organizations: Chevron Corp, Monday, Circuit, U.S . Interior Department, Interior Department, U.S, District, of Ocean Energy Management, American Petroleum Institute, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S

Kevin Hodges, a partner at law firm Williams & Connolly, was the first member of Amazon's defense team identified in a court document in the case. Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky, a 24-year veteran of the company's legal department, can turn to a stable of top outside law firms that already represent it. Thomas Barnett, co-chair of the firm’s antitrust practice and a former senior Justice Department official, was involved in the effort. A Covington spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on whether the firm is defending Amazon in the FTC antitrust case. Amazon has also turned to U.S. law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to navigate government scrutiny.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Kevin Hodges, Williams, Connolly, Hodges, John Schmidtlein, David Zapolsky, Lina Khan, Thomas Barnett, Covington, Paul, Weiss, Garrison, Paul Weiss, Andrew Goudsward, Mike Scarcella, David Bario, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Amazon Logistics, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Trade, Amazon.com, Amazon, Williams, U.S . Justice, Microsoft, BP, Big Tech, Alphabet's, Google, FTC, Burling, Department, D.C, Covington, Thomson Locations: Chicago . Illinois, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, Mexico, Covington, Rifkind, Wharton

The judge described how Trump, his adult sons Donald Jr. and Eric, the Trump Organization and other defendants made up valuations and inflated Trump's net worth to suit their business needs. Trump and the other defendants have argued that they never committed fraud, and that the challenged transactions were profitable. Engoron said James submitted "conclusive evidence" that Trump had overstated his net worth by between $812 million and $2.2 billion. Engoron's decision does not automatically mean James' fraud case will go to trial next Monday. Trump has sued to delay the trial, accusing Engoron and James of ignoring the appeals court order to narrow the case.

Persons: Donald Trump, Scott Morgan, Justice Arthur Engoron, Letitia James, Engoron, Trump, Donald Jr, Eric, Christopher Kise, James, Bill Black, Black, Lawfare, Hunt, Trump's overvaluations, Trump's, Ivanka, Democrat Joe Biden, Jean Carroll, Karen Freifeld, Jack Queen, Jonathan Stempel, Chris Reese, Deepa Babington, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Trump Organization, Trump, University of Minnesota Law School, Trump Organization of, Democrat Locations: Dubuque , Iowa, U.S, York, New York, Manhattan, Lago, Florida, Manhattan's, Saudi Arabia

"With its missionary zeal for consumers, Amazon has marched toward monopoly by singing the tune of contemporary antitrust," Khan, then 29, wrote in the Yale Law Journal. Six years later, Khan, who became the FTC's chair in 2021, is leading the agency's antitrust charge against the online retailer. The FTC's lawsuit filed on Tuesday asks a court to consider forcing the company to sell assets to stop what it said was ongoing harm to consumers. Amazon has fought back and rejected the antitrust lawsuit filed on Tuesday. "By contrast, the FTC's 2021 budget topped out at only $351 million, or slightly more than 1% of Amazon's earnings."

Persons: Lina M, Khan, Bill Nelson, Graeme Jennings, Lina Khan, Andy Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Bezos, David Shepardson, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Commerce, Science, NASA, Capitol, Rights, Federal Trade, Amazon.com, Amazon, Yale Law, FTC, Apple, Facebook, Google, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, Washington

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's trial to test dueling explanations for FTX’s collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

He plastered FTX's logo on a basketball arena in Miami and on MLB baseball umpires' uniforms. Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried directed Wang to change FTX's computer code to allow Alameda to borrow unlimited sums of money, a privilege other exchange users lacked. Bankman-Fried's defense lawyers have indicated in court papers that they plan to challenge the credibility of all three witnesses. "The question is, when did Bankman-Fried know that there wouldn't be enough money?" Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Amy Stevens and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Fried, Jane Street, FTX, Damian Williams, Forbes, Bankman, It's, Mark Kasten, Buchanan Ingersoll, Rooney, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Wang, Singh, Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Paul Tuchmann, Wiggin, Dana, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Wall, Alameda Research, MLB, Prosecutors, Attorney, Bankman, Alameda, District, New York Times, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Miami, Alameda, Bahamas

☆ Bankman-Fried prosecutors may show jury evidence of political donations, judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Luc Cohen | トムソンロイター | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan said evidence of the former billionaire's donations were "intertwined inextricably" with charges he defrauded FTX customers by stealing billions of dollars in deposits. Prosecutors said he used $100 million in stolen FTX deposits to fund those donations, which he hoped would spur the passage of crypto-friendly legislation. Prosecutors said Bankman-Fried later sought to interfere with the bankruptcy estate, and undermine FTX creditors, by moving assets to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by Bahamian regulators. Kaplan said such evidence would be relevant at trial.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, FTX, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis 私 Organizations: FTX, United, REUTERS, U.S, District, Federal, Democratic, Prosecutors Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, New York

U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash during a hearing denied a request by Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights for a preliminary injunction blocking Fearless Fund from considering applications for grants only from businesses led by Black women. Blum's group had asked the judge to temporarily block the Fearless Fund's "racially exclusive program" while the court considered the merits of the case. Fearless Fund founders Arian Simone and Ayana Parsons in a joint statement said they were pleased that Thrash rejected Blum's attempt to shut down their grant program. According to the Fearless Fund, businesses owned by Black women in 2022 received less than 1% of the $288 billion that venture capital firms deployed. It also provides grants, and Blum's lawsuit took aim at its Fearless Strivers Grant Contest, which awards Black women who own small businesses $20,000 in grants and other resources to grow their businesses.

Persons: Edward Blum, Thomas, Edward Blum's, Blum, Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, Simone, Parsons, JPMorgan Chase, Strivers, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Fair, Harvard University, Supreme, U.S, District, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, Circuit, Appeals, University of North, JPMorgan, Bank of America, MasterCard, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Atlanta, Texas, University of North Carolina, Black, U.S . Civil, Boston

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) delivers remarks, after he and his wife Nadine Menendez were indicted on bribery offenses in connection with their corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen, in Union City, New Jersey, U.S., September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Segar Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 26 (Reuters) - A New Jersey businessman pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of bribing U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. Menendez, 69, his 56-year-old wife, Nadine Menendez, and two other businessmen accused of bribing the senior New Jersey senator are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. Prosecutors say Hana, who is originally from Egypt, arranged meetings in 2018 between Menendez and Egyptian officials.

Persons: Robert Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Mike Segar, Bob Menendez, Wael Hana, Judge Ona Wang, Menendez, Hana, Washington, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, New, Prosecutors, Senate Foreign Relations, Thomson Locations: Jersey, Union City , New Jersey, U.S, New Jersey, Manhattan, Egypt, United States, New York

REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 26 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas ruled on Tuesday that the state's new law limiting public drag performances was an unconstitutional restriction on speech and he permanently forbid enforcement of it. "Not all people will like or condone certain performances," U.S. District Judge David Hittner wrote. Hittner ruled that the Texas law was discriminatory and improperly vague. He said drag performances were not inherently obscene, and were the sort of expressive speech protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. Other federal judges in Tennessee, Florida and Montana have blocked similar new drag restrictions, finding similar free-speech violations.

Persons: Joy, Callaghan O'Hare, David Hittner, Hittner, Jonathan Allen, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, District, U.S, American Civil Liberties Union, Thomson Locations: Buddy’s, Houston , Texas, U.S, Texas, Tennessee , Florida, Montana

People walk by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the financial district of New York City, U.S., June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Federal Reserve Bank of New York FollowNEW YORK, Sept 25 (Reuters) - A judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit accusing the Federal Reserve Bank of New York of illegally firing two longtime employees who claimed religious objections in refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The New York Fed began requiring COVID-19 vaccines for all employees in August 2021. The New York Fed declined to comment. The case is Gardner-Alfred et al v Federal Reserve Bank of New York, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, District Judge Lewis Liman, Lori Gardner, Alfred, Jeanette Diaz, Gardner, Diaz, Liman, John Balestriere, Alfred et, Jonathan Stempel, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of New, REUTERS, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, COVID, U.S, District, New York Fed, Catholic, New, Fed, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Bronx , New York, Bayonne , New Jersey, New York, COVID, Southern District, Southern District of New York

The headquarters of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. DWS Investment Management Americas made "concerning" misstatements regarding its ESG investment process, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said in a statement. Separately, the SEC found DWS failed to develop a mutual fund anti-money laundering program as required by law. Reuters in July reported that the SEC was preparing to slap DWS with a fine after a two-year probe into allegations of "greenwashing". Under Democratic leadership, the SEC has pledged to crack down on the inflating of ESG credentials to attract investors.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, DWS, Goldman Sachs, BNY, Chris Prentice, Chizu Nomiyama, Emelia Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Deutsche Bank, DWS Investment Management, SEC, Regulators, Democratic, BNY Mellon, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Germany

Yelp (YELP.N) and News/Media Alliance, which are not defendants in the litigation but are targets of Google's subpoenas, argue that law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison should be disqualified. A spokesperson for Paul Weiss said the "firm's representation of Google is appropriate in all respects." Yelp said it hired Paul Weiss in 2016 for counsel on antitrust issues. The Justice Department's antitrust head, Jonathan Kanter, was on the Paul Weiss team representing Yelp. New York-based Paul Weiss, which has about 1,000 lawyers globally, is also representing Amazon.com in various antitrust lawsuits.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Paul, Weiss, Garrison, Leonie Brinkema, Paul Weiss, Yelp, Jonathan Kanter, Charles Molster III, Brandon Kressin, Brinkema, Kanter, Mike Scarcella, Leigh Jones, Rami Ayyub Organizations: Google, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Media Alliance, Yelp, U.S, Google LLC, Eastern, of, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, U.S, Rifkind, Wharton, New York, States, of Virginia

The creators of the hit crime drama "Better Call Saul" on Monday won the dismissal of a defamation and trademark infringement lawsuit by Liberty Tax Service for depicting a shady fictional tax firm that appeared to resemble its own. Gardephe said Liberty Tax offered no "particularly compelling" allegations that viewers would be confused into thinking Sweet Liberty was one of its more than 2,500 offices. "Better Call Saul" starred Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman, a corrupt lawyer also known as Jimmy McGill. Peter Siachos, a lawyer for Liberty Tax, said his client will explore its legal options, including an appeal or refiling the lawsuit in a state court. Both said their use of Sweet Liberty was protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

Persons: Bob Odenkirk, Saul, Paul Gardephe, Gardephe, Liberty, Saul Goodman, Jimmy McGill, Goodman, Craig, Betsy Kettleman, Rosa Parks, Parks, Peter Siachos, Jonathan Stempel, Rami Ayyub Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, Liberty Tax Service, U.S, District, AMC Networks, Sony Pictures Television, Liberty Tax Services, Liberty Tax, Liberty, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Manhattan, New Mexico, Virginia Beach , Virginia, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

Signage is seen on a United Parcel Service (UPS) vehicle at a facility in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S., May 9, 2022. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Friday said it sued United Parcel Service (UPS.N) for disability discrimination, alleging the delivery firm refused to hire deaf or hearing-impaired individuals as drivers. Atlanta-based UPS said it is modifying driver training for those who are deaf and hard of hearing and would start accepting exemptions to the DOT commercial driver hearing standard for operators of its ubiquitous brown delivery trucks in January 2024. EEOC said it sued the world's largest parcel delivery firm under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) after failing to reach a pre-litigation settlement. "Just because someone is deaf does not mean they cannot drive safely," said Gregory Gochanour, EEOC's regional attorney in Chicago.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, EEOC, Gregory Gochanour, Kannaki, Lisa Baertlein, Shounak Dasgupta, Chris Reese Organizations: United Parcel Service, REUTERS, Opportunity Commission, Department of Transportation, UPS, Disabilities, Northern, Northern District of Illinois, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn , New York City, U.S, Atlanta, Chicago, Northern District, Bengaluru, Los Angeles

The Biden administration and environmental groups on Friday said they would appeal a Louisiana federal judge's ruling that ordered an expansion of next week's sale of oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico.

Organizations: Biden Locations: Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico

Sept 22 (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Friday extended a temporary block on an order restricting the ability of President Joe Biden's administration to encourage social media companies to remove content it deemed misinformation about COVID-19 and other matters of public concern. The decision to keep the matter on hold until Wednesday gives the court more time to consider the administration's request to block an injunction issued by a lower court that had concluded that federal officials likely had violated the free speech protections of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment by coercing social media platforms into censoring certain posts. Reporting by Andrew Chung and Nate Raymond Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Samuel Alito, Joe Biden's, Andrew Chung, Nate Raymond, Chris Reese Organizations: Supreme, Thomson

U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez in San Diego said California's "sweeping ban" went too far by preventing people from using magazines for lawful purposes, including self-defense. The judge had struck down the magazines ban in March 2019, but the 9th Circuit overturned him in Nov. 2021. The Supreme Court vacated the appeals court ruling and ordered new proceedings consistent with the Bruen decision. Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle & Pistol Association, in a statement, said Friday's decision reflects the "sea change in the way courts must look at these absurdly restrictive laws." The case is Duncan et al v. Bonta, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, No.

Persons: Roger Benitez, California's, Benitez, Rob Bonta, Bonta, Chuck Michel, Gavin Newsom, Duncan, Jonathan Stempel, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Long Beach Police Department, U.S, District, Supreme, , New York, Circuit, California, Association, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Long Beach, Long Beach , California, U.S, California, San Diego, ,, San Francisco, Southern District, Southern District of California, New York

The Citadel Securities logo is seen at their offices in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., October 31, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Acquire Licensing RightsSept 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday said Citadel Securities LLC, a Miami-based broker-dealer, had agreed to pay $7 million to settle charges it incorrectly handled millions of orders and violated short-selling rules. The SEC in a statement said Citadel Securities over a five-year period had incorrectly marked millions of orders, denoting short sales as long sales and vice versa. It said those incorrect markings resulted from a coding error in the firm's automated trading system. A Citadel spokesperson said the error was identified and addressed by the firm more than three years ago.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Mark Cave, Rami Ayyub, Pete Schroeder, Carolina, Kirsten Donovan, Mark Porter Organizations: Citadel Securities, REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Citadel Securities LLC, SEC, Citadel, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Miami

Alabama Judicial Building, where the state supreme court meets, is seen in Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Aluka Berry/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 22 (Reuters) - The Supreme Court of Alabama is weighing whether to allow the state to become the first to execute a prisoner with a novel method: asphyxiation using nitrogen gas. Smith's lawyers have said the untested protocol may violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on "cruel and unusual punishments." They are due to file their opposition to the attorney general's death warrant application with the court on Friday. Oklahoma and Mississippi have also approved nitrogen asphyxiation executions, but are yet to try the method.

Persons: Chris Aluka Berry, Steve Marshall, Kenneth Smith, Smith, Alabama's, gurney, Joel Zivot, Zivot, Jonathan Allen, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Alabama Judicial, REUTERS, Alabama, Alabama Department of Corrections, Emory School of Medicine, Thomson Locations: Alabama, Montgomery , Alabama, U.S, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New York

Charles McGonigal, a former FBI official who has been charged with working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, arrives at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., March 8, 2023. Charles McGonigal, who led the FBI’s counterintelligence division in New York before retiring in 2018, is scheduled to appear at a plea hearing in Washington federal court at 2 p.m. (1800 GMT). He pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in federal court in Manhattan last month in a separate case related to his work for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska while Deripaska was under U.S. sanctions. McGonigal’s lawyer and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington declined to comment ahead of the hearing. U.S. prosecutors say the former Albanian intelligence officer had business interests in Europe and was a source for an FBI investigation involving foreign lobbying that McGonigal supervised.

Persons: Charles McGonigal, Oleg Deripaska, Brendan McDermid, Deripaska, McGonigal, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Grant McCool Organizations: FBI, Court, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Attorney’s, Thomson Locations: Russian, New York City, U.S, Albanian, New York, Washington, Manhattan, Europe

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs from Trump Tower to give a deposition to New York Attorney General Letitia James who sued Trump and his Trump Organization, in New York City, U.S., April 13, 2023. James has accused Trump of repeatedly lying in financial statements to obtain better terms on loans and insurance. Last week, Trump accused James of ignoring the decision and Engoron of refusing to implement it, and said the trial should be delayed. She said even a brief delay "would likely wreak havoc" on the trial and other trials that Trump faces. James' lawsuit seeks to bar Trump and his adult sons Donald Jr. And Eric from running businesses in New York.

Persons: Donald Trump, Letitia James, Trump, Mike Segar, Donald Trump's, Letitia James's, James, Arthur Engoron, Trump's, Ivanka Trump, Engoron, Donald Jr, Eric, Karen Freifeld, Jonathan Stempel, Daniel Wallis, Chizu Organizations: U.S, Trump Tower, New York, Trump Organization, REUTERS, Companies Trump Organization, Trump, Thomson Locations: New, New York City, U.S, New York, Manhattan, Lago, Florida

Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. In her writings, she described feeling "unhappy and overwhelmed" with her job and "hurt/rejected" from a breakup with Bankman-Fried. A lawyer for Bankman-Fried told the appeals court on Sept. 19 that Kaplan failed to credit the defendant for exercising his First Amendment constitutional right to speak with the press and try to restore his reputation. The appeals court appeared skeptical. Bankman-Fried faces seven charges of fraud and conspiracy stemming from the collapse of FTX, the now-bankrupt crypto exchange he founded.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Fried, Kaplan, Danielle Sassoon, William Nardini, Luc Cohen Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Circuit, District, Alameda Research, New York Times, Bankman, Metropolitan Detention, Prosecutors, Alameda, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan . U.S, Alameda, Palo Alto , California, FTX

REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday restricted Sam Bankman-Fried's ability to call expert witnesses to testify at his criminal fraud trial, in a blow to the FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder. But in a written order, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said three proposed witnesses cannot take the stand, because their testimony was irrelevant or could confuse the jury. He also said Bankman-Fried may seek to call the remaining four experts, but only to rebut prosecution witnesses. Among the witnesses Kaplan rejected was Peter Vinella, a consultant who intended to testify about "FTX's use of widely-accepted practices in the financial services industry." It is common in U.S. criminal trials for prosecutors and defendants to call experts to help jurors understand complex issues.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Peter Vinella, Lawrence Akka, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Alameda Research, District, Prosecutors, Alameda, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, Bankman, New York

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