Thoughts tagged "crypto lobby"

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Convicted FTX executive Ryan Salame has filed a document in his case alleging that the US government has reneged on their (verbal) promise not to pursue campaign finance charges against his partner, Michelle Bond.

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Bond was previously under investigation for campaign finance issues pertaining to her 2022 Congressional campaign in New York’s District 1.

In June of this year, she launched a think tank pushing for friendly crypto and AI regulation, and a month ago they launched a program aiming to register pro-crypto voters in swing states.

Salame is requesting that either any indictment of Bond be dismissed with prejudice, or his conviction be vacated. He is due to report to prison to begin his 7 1/2 year sentence later this year.

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.590939/gov.uscourts.nysd.590939.470.0_1.pdf

Public Citizen just released a must-read report on the cryptocurrency industry’s spending this election cycle.

Nearly half of all corporate money contributed this cycle has come from cryptocurrency backers!

Key Findings In 2024, crypto corporations have poured over $119 million directly into influencing federal elections, primarily into a non-partisan super PAC dedicated to electing pro-crypto candidates and defeating crypto skeptics. Crypto corporations are by far the dominant corporate political spenders in 2024 as nearly half (48%) of all corporate money contributed during this year’s elections ($248 million so far) came from crypto backers. Koch Industries is a distant second place in 2024. The privately held conglomerate owned by Charles and, formerly, the late David Koch, contributed $25 million to its Koch-controlled Americans for Prosperity Action and $3.25 million toward electing Republicans to Congress. Direct corporate election spending at this scale is unprecedented. Crypto corporations’ total spending in the past three election cycles – $129 million – already amounts to 15% of all known corporate contributions since the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United, which total $884 million. 92% of the corporate crypto spending is from 2024. Since Citizens United, the crypto corporations are now second in total election-related spending, trailing only fossil fuel corporations, which have spent $176 million over the past 14 years, including $73 million from Koch Industries. The crypto sector’s Fairshake PAC and its affiliates have received nearly $114 million directly from corporate backers, far more than any other outside spender this cycle. Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity Action, a hybrid PAC, is a distant second, having received nearly $26 million, primarily from Koch Industries. Fairshake’s corporate backing is unprecedented. Though unlimited corporate contributions have been enabled since 2010 by Citizens United, this newcomer is already second only to the super PAC dedicated to electing Republicans to the U.S. Senate in terms of corporate money received. That super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, has received nearly $119 million directly from corporations over the past 14 years, largely from fossil fuel corporations but including many other sectors, including crypto, tobacco, and for-profit prisons.
"Big Crypto, Big Spending: Crypto Corporations Spend an Unprecedented $119 Million Influencing Elections".
Rick Claypool in Public Citizen.