NYAG and Bitfinex to conference with the New York Supreme Court on disputed documents

In the latest Court order in the ongoing iFinex dispute with the New York Attorney General (NYAG), New York Judge Joel M. Cohen is mandating a video conference between the two parties next week. A filing from today set a date for a discussion on Sept. 17 regarding the NYAG's insistence that iFinex produce certain documents.

The Court date was set after the NYAG requested the conference yesterday.

"At the conference we seek, the OAG will request that the Court order the immediate production of documents and information by Respondents as required under the April 24, 2019 Order..." read the filing.

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Both iFinex and the NYAG will have to submit letters no more than three pages detailing their positions ahead of Sept. 14. 

The NYAG has been trying to force Bitfinex and Tether, the offshoots of parent company iFinex, to produce documents related to its business dealings between the two firms since the start of the dispute in April 2019. The office claims iFinex co-mingled funds between the companies, using Tether to cover up an $850 million loss by Bitfinex.

The documents, the NYAG claims, are key to its investigation. Bitfinex and Tether have continuously disagreed, citing jurisdictional issues, among other arguments, in an attempt to avoid producing the documents. 

The NYAG won a ruling early on ordering the Bitfinex and Tether to turn over requested documents. iFinex later appealed the decision and lost in July, giving Bitfinex and Tether 60 days to produce the documents. As the deadline passed without a resolution, the NYAG filed requesting the conference now set for next week.

About Author

Aislinn Keely is a reporter on The Block's policy team holding down the legal beat. She covers court decisions, bankruptcies, regulatory actions and other key moments in the legal sphere, putting them in context for the wider crypto industry. Before The Block, she lent her voice to the NPR affiliate WFUV and helmed Fordham University's student newspaper. Send tips or thoughts on all things policy and legal to [email protected] or follow her on Twitter for updates @AislinnKeely.