NEW YORK — In a dramatic testimony before the Manhattan federal court, Danielle Sassoon, a former interim U.S. attorney, stood firm in her defense against allegations concerning her handling of the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. During the court proceedings, Sassoon strongly insisted that she never made any suggestions to attorneys representing Michelle Bond, a woman embroiled in the FTX cryptocurrency scandal, regarding possible leniency in exchange for a guilty plea from her boyfriend.
Sassoon, who graduated from Harvard and Yale Law School, expressed her commitment to ethical legal practices, stating emphatically, I’m not in the business of gotcha or tricking people into pleading guilty. This statement came amidst accusations that she had pressured Bond’s attorneys into believing deals concerning non-prosecution were on the table.
After her resignation as interim U.S. attorney, Sassoon explained that her refusal to heed orders from the Justice Department to dismiss corruption charges against Adams led to a significant career transition as she moved into private law practice. The charges against Adams eventually were dropped after intervention by federal prosecutors.
The court hears the case involving Bond, who stands accused of using FTX funds unlawfully during her congressional campaign, with prosecutors allegedly reneging on a promise of non-prosecution if her boyfriend, Ryan Salame, pleaded guilty. The testimony is expected to continue in the following month, adding another layer to the complex web of legal issues stemming from the FTX collapse.
