SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 26 – The 1MDB
criminal case in the Eastern District of New York,
involving defendant Roger Ng, fellow Goldman Sachs
cooperator Tim Leissner, and the absent but reportedly
seeking a pardon or equivalent Jho Low, has given rise to
satellite civil litigation in the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New York.
Inner City Press covered the
Brooklyn trial - book here
- and is still following Jho Low and Goldman Sachs.
On May 26 SDNY Magistrate Judge Gary Stein
held a discovery conference in a civil case. Inner City
Press was there. Goldman Sachs filed a petition to
confirm an arbitration award against Leissner. Judge
Jennifer Rochon confirmed the award in October 2023,
ordering Leissner to pay Goldman $20,670,644 plus
pre-judgment interest at ten percent per year from July
27, 2022. The case was reopened for discovery, with
Kimora Lee Simmons intervening as a third party. Kimora
Lee Simmons has claimed that Celsius Holdings shares
actually belong to her. Inner City Press live tweeted:
All rise! Sullivan & Cromwell for
Goldman Sachs: This was a grossly inadequate discovery
production, about their claimed investment in Celsius
through her Bank of America account Judge: They only gave
you material from the public docket?
S&C: Nothing of substance
S&C for Goldman: They supposedly sold $12 million of
these shares. But we have no info. We subpoenaed Bank of
America but they say counsel to Ms. Lee tells them no,
it's private. [Kimora Lee's two lawyers are whispering]
S&C: We litigated this before Judge Rochon
S&C: Following Mr. Leissner's arrest,
he told us in a deposition, Bank of America kicked him off
the account. So the account's in his name. We've been
blocked at every turn. We hear Ms. Lee is settling with
others, may get a lot of stock in days or weeks
Kimora Lee's lawyer hands S&C / Goldman
lawyer some papers, says "As long as these don't be come
part of the public record. S&C lawyer: This line says
$14 million- Judge: Given the protective order, perhaps
you should be more guarded S&C lawyer: Here it says
$82M
S&C/Goldman lawyer: It says "Keyway"
(sp) was to send $20 million to a Swiss bank account, we
don't know where this money came from.
Judge: There are bank accounts I'd like to
talk about, I don't know where they are. Kimora Lee's
lawyer: We produced what we had Judge: Was there a
$12 million sale of Celsius stock? Kimora Lee's lawyer:
It's not in the production because it was many years ago.
Judge: How long? Kimora Lee's lawyer: 6 years. The
Robinsons have some records from 2017. The Celsius shares
are in a JPMC account.
Judge: I just want to make sure bank
statements are not being disappeared. Kimora Lee's 2d
lawyer: I had to travel from Indiana to South Jersey, I
can put in information by the end of the week. Judge: It's
past due- move to quash by then or BofA must comply
Judge: What about an affidavit by Ms. Lee
about the scope of the search she did? Kimora Lee's 1st
lawyer: Other than Goldman's desire for more, there is no
basis to believe Mr. Lee and the Robinson entities have
not fully complied. Judge: I'm prepared to rule
Judge: I deny Goldman's motion to compel on
Phase One, for the moment; and I denied the request for an
affidavit from Ms. Lee. It may be needed later on if the
production continues to be skimpy. On BofA, Ms. Lee has
until the end of the week to file a motion
Goldman's lawyer: What about deposing Ms.
Lee about the Celsius shares, which we understand are soon
to be unfrozen by the Eastern District. We can't file a
TRO because I don't have the records right now. Lee's
lawyer: She filed for these in the forfeiture Kimora
Lee's lawyer: Goldman has no basis for these demands, no
special deposition, just 2d phase.
Judge: What about some documents?
Prioritize them in light of what's about to happen in
EDNY. Adjourned
More on X for Subscribers here
and Substack here
The case is Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC v.
Leissner, 1:23-cv-05266 (Rochon / Gary Stein)
