The founder of Kraken was investigated for allegedly attempting to interfere in the management of an NGO he himself founded to promote the arts.
An investigation by the United States Department of Justice against Kraken founder Jesse Powell was closed two years after it began, and the executive received back his cell phones and laptops seized by the FBI at the time. Although the process began during Joe Biden's presidency, which organized a broad offensive against the crypto sector, the specific case has no relation to this market. The information comes from Fortune.
Powell was investigated for allegedly attempting to interfere in the management of an NGO he himself founded to promote the arts in the city of Sacramento (California). According to a report from The New York Times, the founder of Kraken was accused of having "hacked and digitally harassed" the entity, which is called Verge.
The executive filed a civil lawsuit against Verge, claiming that he did not conduct any harassment and that it was merely a debate about access to the NGO's Google and Slack accounts.
Documents filed by Powell this week reveal that the Department of Justice completely dismissed the investigation and returned his cell phones and laptops. The documents add that the devices contain information related to Verge that corroborates the version of events presented by Powell.
"The FBI operation at my home was devastating, both personally and professionally. It is still shocking that the action was based on unfounded accusations from the Verge Center for the Arts against me. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong, and the evidence obtained in my defamation case against Verge shows that this is undeniable," Powell said in an interview with Fortune.
