Ripple Wins Battle For ‘Hinman Documents’ in Bitter SEC Case

Ripple has secured a small victory against the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) — shutting down the agency’s motion to seal internal files known as the “Hinman Speech documents.”

Those documents consist of SEC drafts and emails relating to a speech given by William Hinman, former Director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, more than four years ago. 

Hinman’s speech reportedly indicated the agency did not consider ether a security at the time. Ripple lawyers have fought to learn more about how Hinman came to that conclusion, which could impact XRP’s own classification.

According to Tuesday’s filing, the SEC made an attempt to justify the need for confidentiality, contending their lack of relevance to the summary judgment motions and potential disclosure could significantly harm the agency’s interests.

Judge Analisa Torres disagreed in the filing, which triggered an 8% rally for XRP.

“Regardless of whether the court ultimately determines that the Hinman Speech Documents are admissible, or whether the court relies on the documents in ruling on the summary judgment motions, they are judicial documents subject to a strong presumption of public access because they are ‘relevant to the performance of the judicial function and useful in the judicial process.’”

The SEC had sought to redact three categories of information in the case: names and identifying information of the SEC’s expert witnesses and XRP investor declarants, personal and financial information and the Hinman documents. 

Public access to the documents has been granted while partial redactions of the names and identifying information of SEC witnesses will remain sealed to protect their welfare. 

Still, the vast majority of the SEC’s expert reports and investor statements, including those relevant to the court’s decision on the summary judgment motions, will be part of the public record. The documents have yet to appear on official court websites.