Theranos founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes goes by means of a safety checkpoint as she arrives on the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building on December 16, 2021 in San Jose, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
SAN JOSE, Calif. — In his final effort to steer the jury that Elizabeth Holmes is responsible of fraud, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Schenk stated Theranos’ founder selected to deceive traders and sufferers, a alternative that “was not solely callous, it was legal.”
Schenk delivered a blistering three-hour closing argument on Thursday, making the case that the choice to convict Holmes needs to be unambiguous.
“Ms. Holmes made the choice to defraud her traders, after which to defraud sufferers,” Schenk stated. “She selected fraud over business failure. She selected to be dishonest with traders and with sufferers.”
Schenk urged the jury to ignore Holmes’ claims of abuse by ex-boyfriend Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, who was her second-in-command on the firm, as a result of the “verdict doesn’t validate her claims of abuse.” It’s a theme that the prosecution returned to repeatedly all through the three-month trial, arguing that Holmes was in management and was calling the photographs.
During Holmes testimony over seven days, the previous Theranos CEO at occasions detailed alleged emotional, bodily and sexual abuse from Balwani. She claimed Balwani, in some methods, managed her, allegations Balwani has vehemently denied.
“You don’t have to resolve if that abuse occurred,” Schenk advised the jury. “The case is about false statements made to traders, false statements made to sufferers.”
The protection, which started its closing argument on Thursday afternoon, countered the prosecution’s assertions by saying it was by no means Holmes’ intent to mislead. She was “was constructing an organization, not a legal enterprise,” her legal professional stated.
The day started shortly earlier than 2 a.m. PT, with journalists, spectators and members of Holmes’ entourage lining up in the rain to get into the courthouse.
Among these in line was Tyler Shultz, who labored at Theranos and have become a key whistleblower. Shultz’s identify appeared on the listing of potential witnesses for the federal government, however he was by no means referred to as to testify. Shultz, the grandson of former Secretary of State and early Theranos board member George Shultz, declined to remark.
‘A special path’
Schenk seemed intently at every juror as he delivered his closing argument. He highlighted claims that Holmes made in regards to the firm’s work with the army and pharmaceutical partnerships, noting that they have been all unfaithful.
“Ms. Holmes knew these sincere statements wouldn’t have led to any income,” Schenk stated. “She selected a unique path.”
Schenk ran the jury by means of the 29 authorities witnesses, displaying a headshot of every with a brief abstract of their testimony. He confirmed jurors a slide itemizing the methods they are saying that Holmes exercised management at Theranos. The listing included public relations, business improvement, speaking with docs and traders, pharmaceutical partnerships and monetary projections.
“There weren’t occasions at Theranos that occurred with out her choice or involvement,” Schenk stated. Schenk additionally confirmed the jury a chart, titled “Knowledge of falsity,” which listed her false statements alongside displays.
Holmes has pleaded not responsible to 11 costs of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She might spend as much as 20 years in jail if convicted. Balwani faces the identical costs in a trial that’s anticipated to start early subsequent yr. He additionally pleaded not responsible.
Sunny Balwani, former president and chief working officer of Theranos Inc., leaves federal courtroom in San Jose, California, Oct. 2, 2019.
Michael Short | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Kevin Downey, a protection legal professional for Holmes, advised the jury that the federal government’s case was incomplete.
“The image can change fairly a great deal because of ready for the total story,” Downey stated, including that prosecutors withheld necessary info from the jury. Downey advised jurors about 11 profitable partnerships Theranos had with drug firms.
Prosecutors additionally took a shot on the protection’s portrayal of Holmes as a younger, naive Stanford dropout. By the time traders put cash in the corporate in 2013 and 2014, Holmes was virtually 30 and had been CEO for near a decade, Schenk stated.
“Theranos did not want extra expertise to keep away from fraud,” he advised the jury.
Throughout the trial, Holmes’ protection attorneys stated she was a hardworking but young CEO, who was overly trusting of Balwani, the chief working officer, and her lab administrators.
“It wasn’t a query of expertise,” Schenk stated. “They wanted a CEO and a COO that interacted with individuals actually.”
Downey closed by asking the jury to contemplate this query: “If Ms. Holmes have been a legal, what sort of board of administrators would she have appointed? Would she appoint cronies?”
“She appointed these individuals, an extremely illustrious group of individuals,” Downey stated, pointing to a slide that named every director.
The protection is about to conclude its closing arguments on Friday. The jury of eight males and 4 ladies will probably be handed the case following jury directions. They’re anticipated to deliberate over the vacation week.
“The story of Theranos is in some methods tragic,” Schenk advised them. “It can also be the story of some people performing with exceptional integrity.”
WATCH: Elizabeth Holmes trial begins final deliberations, closing arguments