
The SEC has argued that the documents should be protected because Hinman wrote the speech as a “personal errand,” but the judge didn’t buy it.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has suffered a blow in its case against Ripple, after a U.S. judge has denied its claims for attorney-client privilege regarding internal documents related to the “Hinman speech”.
In denying the motion on July 12, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn called out the SEC’s hypocrisy in arguing that the speech — in which a former official Bill Hinman suggested ETH was not a security — was a personal matter for Hinman while also claiming it should be protected because he received legal advice from the SEC to confirm the commission’s policies.
The draft of the Hinman speech, which the SEC has fought to keep under wraps, has been seen by many in the XRP community as a pivotal piece of evidence that could work in favor of Ripple Labs.
The SEC sued blockchain firm Ripple in late 2020 on allegations that senior executives Brad Garlinghouse and Christian Larsen sold Ripple’s XRP tokens as unregistered securities.
However, Ripple has argued that the speech made by former director of the Division of Corporation Finance Bill Hinman in 2018 stated that Ether (ETH) did not constitute “securities transactions” — contradicted to the SEC’s stance on the matter.
Barring any further appeals or delays, the ruling states that: “The documents must be produced.”
Delphi Digital’s general counsel Gabriel Shapiro called it a “big tactical win for Ripple” in a July 12 tweet.
Some believe that an appeal by the SEC is likely. Founder of crypto legal news outlet Crypto-Law John E Deaton told his 205,000 followers on July 12 that the appeal, along with Ripple’s objection, would come within 30 days. He also believes the appeals judge will side with Judge Netburn's recent ruling.
The SEC continues to insist that Hinman’s speech was a “purely personal errand” that was not meant to offer legal advice.
Judge Netburn acknowledged that this could potentially protect the drafts if Hinman were a private citizen. However, Judge Netburn wrote that the commission also argued Hinman would not have had access to the information and resources if he were not already working at the SEC.
If the contents of the speech documents are compelling enough, it could be a tipping point for Ripple in the case, which has been seen as potentially setting a precedent for other similar crypto token issuers.
Source: cointelegraph.com
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