“I donated to each events,” FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried stated in an interview with Tiffany Fong printed Tuesday. “I donated about the identical quantity to each events.”
For the reason that launch of FTX in 2019, Bankman-Fried has brazenly supported Democratic candidates. In 2020, Bankman-Fried was one of many largest donors to the marketing campaign of now-President Joe Biden, with $5,220,000 from FTX US and $6,242,800 from Alameda Analysis.
“All my Republican donations have been darkish,” Bankman-Fried stated, citing the Residents United Supreme Courtroom case. “In apply, nobody can fathom the concept somebody truly gave darkish [money],” he stated.
In accordance with the political finance monitoring web site Open Secrets and techniques, “Dark money” refers to spending meant to affect political outcomes the place the supply of the cash will not be disclosed.
Bankman-Fried says he donated darkish cash to keep away from public scrutiny and have reporters “freak the fuck out when you donate to Republicans,” calling them tremendous liberal and saying he didn’t wish to have that combat. Bankman-Fried additionally stated that he gave within the primaries as a result of that’s the place there are good candidates versus unhealthy candidates—not like within the basic election.
Bankman-Fried didn’t clarify what he considers a great or unhealthy candidate within the interview.
Bankman-Fried additionally addressed rumors that he helped Ukraine launder funds for the Democratic Celebration, an accusation that FactCheck.org, a nonpartisan nonprofit for voters, calls false. “There isn’t any proof to assist the declare that Ukraine invested in or gave cash to FTX,” the group stated in an article debunking the conspiracy concept.
“I want I have been part of a world conspiracy that attention-grabbing,” Bankman-Fried stated, including that he doesn’t know why Ukraine would launder funds for the Democratic Celebration or by which manner somebody would launder the funds.
For the reason that collapse of FTX, a number of U.S. officers have known as for investigations into Bankman-Fried and his former firm. The U.S. Home Monetary Companies Committee known as Bankman-Fried to testify in Washington on December 13, 2022.
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