Defense In Elizabeth Holmes Fraud Trial Presses Theranos Lab Director Over His Role During Cross-Examination
SAN JOSE (KPIX) -- It was another hard day on the witness stand for former Theranos Lab Director Adam Rosendorff as the defense team for former CEO Elizabeth Holmes continued their cross-examination Friday.
Defense lawyer Lance Wade showed Rosendorff an email that the prosecution previously presented to prove problems at the lab.
It was from Theranos employee Christian Holmes, who emailed his sister
Elizabeth in 2014 saying the company's pregnancy hormone tests were causing
"serious issues and patient complaints."
But then Wade presented a follow up email not previously shown by prosecutors,
that said the complaints were really about long wait times for results caused by a shortage of testing materials called reagents in the lab.
Rosendorff said he didn't recall a shortage.
"What the defense is trying to do is chip away at the lab director's credibility. And I think they were effective," said Steve Clark, a former prosecutor and legal analyst.
Other emails and calendar entries showed Rosendorff met with Elizabeth Holmes
when he said he didn't, and that Holmes responded quickly when being informed
of problems at the lab.
"The lab director is a key witness for both sides in this case," Clark said.
On a side note, Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou filed papers asking the judge to lift a gag order placed on him as a potential witness.
Carreyrou, who's stories helped bring down Theranos, is on the defense witness list, but claims the gag order is harming his First Amendment Rights to cover the trial.
"The defense at this point is saying we're going to call the case as we
see it, he's on our list and he's a part of the gag order like everybody else," Clark said.
The trial will continue on Tuesday next week.