Balwani’s abuse to negate the government’s proof that she had the specific intent to defraud.” She intends to argue that “she deferred to, relied on, trusted, and believed Mr. Holmes legal team, in a December 2020 court filing, said that during her trial she plans to “introduce evidence of Mr. There was a sense at the company that “Balwani was asserting too much power in the laboratory science side of things, which he did not have knowledge about,” Williams told the FBI, but Holmes was in charge of “overall operations and decisions at Theranos” and was the “ultimate decision maker.” Holmes and Balwani usually didn’t interact at office parties, Williams said, and “treated each other with respect.” Holmes, who is charged with a dozen felony counts related to her failed Palo Alto blood-testing startup, has said in court filings that during a lengthy relationship, Balwani abused and coerced her in ways that led to post-traumatic stress disorder and bear upon the issue of guilt in the case. Williams also told the FBI that the relationship between Holmes and Balwani was “very secret.” She said that Holmes’ executive assistant had told her Holmes “lived with someone,” but “It should not be discussed.” Williams said that she only learned the Theranos founder lived with Balwani after visiting the home the couple shared.

“Sensitive items included Holmes’ food preferences.” Shopping lists for Holmes’ food at home and work were “kept private” because “she was vegan for a period and did not want it to be made a big deal,” according to the FBI report. “Holmes was very private,” the assistant, Paige Williams, who worked for Holmes from June 2015 to July 2018, told the FBI. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes tried to keep secret both her food preferences and her intimate relationship with company president Sunny Balwani, according to an interview with her personal assistant detailed in an FBI report filed in court in connection with Holmes’ criminal fraud trial.

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