SBF subpoena is ‘definitely on the table,’ says Rep. Maxine Waters

The United States House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters said a subpoena is “definitely on the table” for former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, who has been requested to testify at a Dec. 13 hearing looking into the collapse of FTX.

In a Dec. 8 tweet Waters said that “lies are circulating” after a report from CNBC suggested she doesn’t plan to subpoena Bankman-Fried to testify on Dec. 13. 

Lies are circulating @CNBC that I am not willing to subpoena @SBF_FTX. He has been requested to testify at the December 13th hearing. A subpoena is definitely on the table. Stay tuned.

— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) December 8, 2022

The report claimed Waters informed a group of Democrats that she wanted the Committee to convince Bankman-Fried to testify voluntarily.

Related: Crypto community baffled by SBF dictating terms over congressional hearing

Waters had first requested Sam Bankman-Fried to appear at the Dec. 13 hearing on Dec. 3 via a post on Twitter.

Despite appearing in multiple media interviews discussing FTX, Bankman-Fried stated on Dec. 4 that he won’t appear before the Committee until he’s “finished learning and reviewing what happened” and he’s “not sure” if that would happen in time for the hearing.

Citing his media appearances, Waters has previously pushed back at the FTX founders’ excuse, saying on Dec. 5 that the information he holds is “sufficient for testimony.”

“It is imperative that you attend our hearing,” Waters added, and said the Committee was “willing to schedule continued hearings if there is more information to be shared later.”

This is a developing story and more information will be added as it becomes available.