BitBoy Crypto Ben Armstrong Skips FTX Court Hearing, Troll Lawyer With Pig Pic

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A crypto influencer has skipped court in a lawsuit accusing him of promoting the now failed crypto exchange FTX, and he is now dragging lawyers and the court with photos posted from a beach in the Bahamas.

Ben Armstrong, known as BitBoy Crypto Online, is being sued by former FTX clients who claim he promoted the sale of unregulated securities through the recently bankrupt exchange. The former clients are demanding more than $1 billion from Armstrong and other popular YouTubers who they claim were paid to promote the bankrupt company. (Armstrong denied promoting FTX.)

Armstrong, who has 1.45 million YouTube subscribers, didn’t seem bothered by the proceedings. On Thursday, when he was summoned to appear by US Magistrate Judge Melissa Damian, he posted a photo on Twitter from the Bahamas, writing: I’m supposed to be in court today. I’m not. For what? Because I don’t give AF.

He later took a shot at plaintiffs attorney Adam Moskowitz, posting a picture with a pig and writing: GUYS I MISSED COURT BUT STILL MET ADAM MOSKOWITZ AND WE REWARDED!

Thursday’s hearing was supposed to focus on Armstrong’s behavior in the case and Moskowitz claims he was repeatedly threatened and harassed. According to the court order, Moskowitz alleges Armstrong made numerous phone calls to his law firm, posted insulting and threatening messages on Twitter and YouTube, and sent emails threatening Moskowitz and his family.

After being sworn in, Mr. Moskowitz testified that he feared for his personal safety and that of his family due to the persistent communications, messages and threats allegedly made by Defendant Armstrong against Mr. Moskowitz, his family and his law firm. , wrote the judge. (Armstrong denied calling Moskowitz or threatening his safety.)

A lawyer who appeared in court on Armstrong’s behalf said his client was aware of the hearing and was unable to explain why his client did not appear as instructed, according to the order. The lawyer, Jason Rindenau, argued that any perceived threat from his client was a threat[s] litigation, no physical harm, and that his social media posts were protected by the First Amendment.

Damian rejected the First Amendment argument, writing that free speech rights cannot be used as a shield to defend harassing, threatening, and dangerous conduct like the one being engaged here. She ordered Armstrong to appear in court in person on April 24 or face penalties, including contempt.

Rindenau told The Daily Beast that the only so-called threat that has been made in any form is a threat of future litigation, and that was simply in response to language directed at him by Moskowitz. But he added that he told his client to take it down a notch because of his hundreds of thousands of subscribers whose behavior he has no control over.

Armstrong told The Daily Beast via Twitter that he plans to appear on the 24th and is looking forward to it.

A lot is going to be exposed and people will be able to start separating fact from fiction in this case, he said.

Armstrong offered his own reasoning for his absence in a tweet thread on Friday, saying he was on a cruise with 100 people who had paid to attend, and that it was unreasonable to expect him to appear in Florida on such short notice. He denied ever calling Moskowitz or threatening his safety, and added that he had never promoted FTX or even had contact with any employee or marketing agency about it.

I am being falsely accused in a trial that takes my time where there is no one percent chance that I will ultimately be fired, he wrote. It’s almost as if the purpose of my inclusion was for a media circus.

Armstrong did not respond to Twitter and text messages seeking additional comment.

FTX collapsed in November last year, wiping out $8 billion in client funds in just a few days. He filed for bankruptcy later that month. The company is said to have recovered some $5 billion of those funds, but whether and how quickly they will be returned to customers remains unclear.

Moskowitz, meanwhile, is pursuing several proposed class action lawsuits against alleged promoters of FTX, including a $5 billion lawsuit against celebrities Shaquille ONeal, Tom Brady, Steph Curry and Larry David for allegedly approving the swap.

Moskowitz’s firm made headlines earlier this week for serving ONeal outside his home after the basketball star allegedly evaded service for months. (ONeal had previously said it was not involved in the exchange and was only a paid spokesperson for an advertisement.)

FTX were PR and marketing geniuses, and knew that a massive Ponzi scheme like the Madoff scheme could only succeed with the help and promotion of the most famous, respected and loved celebrities and influencers in the world. world, Moskowitz told CBS. time.

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