Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos Inc., leaves federal courtroom in San Jose, California, on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
SAN JOSE, Calif. — In her final effort to try to sway the jury in her legal fraud trial, Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes blasted ex-boyfriend Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, her former second-in-command, for emotional abuse that affected how she operated the corporate.
Holmes, 37, spent seven days on the stand, in the end turning into the star witness of her personal defense. She’s combating 11 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Holmes, who faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted, has pleaded not responsible.
On Wednesday, throughout her final hours of testimony, Holmes fielded questions from her lawyer, Kevin Downey. While Holmes acknowledged that she was the final word choice maker, she blamed Balwani for a lot of what transpired.
“Who was a very powerful advisor to you?” Downey requested.
“Sunny was,” Holmes mentioned.
Holmes advised the jury that she “tried not to ignite” Balwani in their correspondence, which was regularly by textual content message.
“Sunny would typically blow off steam or vent via textual content,” Holmes mentioned. “I used to be making an attempt to be supportive.”
A courtroom sketch displaying Elizabeth Holmes testifying on Nov. twenty second, 2021.
Courtesy: Vicki Behringer
The defense rested late Wednesday morning. Closing arguments are anticipated to start on Dec. 16, in a trial that began with jury selection in late August. Balwani, who faces the identical fees as Holmes, is ready to stand trial early subsequent 12 months.
In Holmes’ case, the government called 29 witnesses, together with buyers, ex-employees, sufferers and enterprise companions. Holmes was the third and final witness known as by her defense group. She adopted former Theranos board member Fabrizio Bonanni, who testified that Holmes tried to enhance the corporate after it got here below regulatory scrutiny.
Blaming Balwani
A key side of the defense has been the shifting of blame to Balwani, who Holmes claims abused her bodily, emotionally and sexually. Balwani denies the allegations.
In earlier testimony, Holmes advised the jury she determined to commit her life to beginning Theranos after she was raped whereas a pupil at Stanford University.
The authorities mentioned it plans to file a movement to strike a part of Holmes’ testimony, together with her allegation of sexual assault whereas at Stanford. Robert Leach, an assistant U.S. lawyer, advised the decide the testimony was irrelevant to the case for the reason that defense selected not to name a psychologist as a witness to testify about Holmes’ mindset as CEO.
On the stand on Wednesday, Holmes advised the jury it took her awhile, however she ultimately discovered that circumstances in sure components of the corporate managed by Balwani had been worse than she’d been advised.
Downey requested Holmes if Balwani criticized workers at Theranos “as being incompetent.”
“He did,” Holmes mentioned, including that Balwani was additionally important of her efficiency.
Balwani’s lawyer, Jeffrey Coopersmith, declined to remark. Holmes, who was romantically concerned with Balwani for over a decade, testified that their breakup was “a course of.”
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
“He confirmed up on the church I’d go to at night time and on the Dish, which is the place I used to run round Stanford,” Holmes mentioned. “The locations I’d go exterior work.”
Downey ended his questioning by asking Holmes a couple of key allegation towards her — whether or not she ever meant to mislead buyers.
“Never,” Holmes replied.
Downey requested if she acknowledges that buyers misplaced cash.
“I do,” Holmes mentioned.
“Was {that a} results of you trying to mislead them?” Downey requested.
“Of course not,” Holmes replied.
In her final phrases to the jury, Holmes restated her unique imaginative and prescient for Theranos.
“I wished to change the impression the corporate might make for individuals and for well being care,” Holmes mentioned. “There had been people who had been long-term buyers and I wished to discuss what this firm might do a 12 months from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now.”
As she stepped down from the witness stand, Holmes turned to her proper and appeared instantly to the jury field, the place eight males and 4 ladies have listened to three months of testimony contained in the San Jose courtroom. In the approaching weeks, they are going to resolve Holmes’ destiny.