The former crypto golden boy appeared to be distressed throughout the hearing, staring downward, wincing — and frequently telling Sassoon that he would have “phrased” questions differently, before delivering rambling and long-winded answers.
He responded “I don’t recall” or said that he couldn’t remember certain conversations with either his ex-colleagues or lawyers at least a dozen times.
Thursday’s hearing was partly meant to probe the scope of Bankman-Fried’s planned “advice-of-counsel” defense — which argues that he shouldn’t be held accountable for his alleged crimes because he was just following his lawyers’ advice.
But it also served as a sort of rehearsal for Bankman-Fried’s planned testimony before the jury — and suggested that he may struggle to explain himself under withering cross-examination.
Source: SBF struggles to explain his defense in dry run of testimony – claims ‘I don’t recall’ a dozen times
