FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried donated thousands to members of the House committee that will investigate him
‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ Jordan Belfort joined ‘Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street’ to discuss the fallout from the collapse of FTX and the scrutiny of A-list celebrities and the SEC chairman.
Members of the House Financial Services Committee have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Sam Bankman-Fried and others at his now-bankrupt cryptocurrency company FTX.
Nine members of the House Financial Services Committee have received money from FTX totaling more than $300,000, according to a review of Federal Election Commission records by the Washington Free Beacon.
FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED HIT WITH CLASS-ACT THAT ALSO ATTRACTS BRADY, BUNDCHEN, SHAQ, CURRY
Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and CEO of FTX Cryptocurrency Derivatives Exchange, speaks during a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee hearing in Washington, DC on February 9, 2022. (Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Bankman-Fried was a major contributor to Democratic candidates during the midterm election cycle, funneling most of his donations through a political action committee called Protect Our Future PAC.
Rep. Chuy Garcia, a Democrat from Illinois, is the only member of the committee who publicly pledged to return a $2,900 contribution from FTX executives. The lawmaker was also the recipient of a nearly $200,000 ad blitz funded by the Protect Our Future PAC.
Bankman-Fried funneled an estimated $262,200 to Republicans through the 2021-2022 election cycle, according to FEC records. His contributions to the Republicans paled in comparison he contributed almost 40 million dollars to Democratic campaigns, but still represented a significant sum, compared to most Americans.
HERE ARE THE DEMS WHO HAVE IT FROM THE LEFTWANGER PAC THAT FTX RAISED $27M THROUGH
Rep. Maxine Waters, a Democrat from California and chair of the House Financial Services Committee, during a hearing in Washington, DC, on September 21, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Asked whether Democrats who received campaign money from FTX should return it, committee chairman Rep. Maxine Waters: “Well, I don’t want to get into that. Actually, both sides, Democrats and Republicans, have received donations. So thank you.”
Overall, in 2021 and 2022, Bankman-Fried donated nearly $38 million to various candidates and PACs, and mainly gives its money to Democratic candidates and left-leaning groups, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.
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FILE – Signage for FTX Arena, where the Miami Heat basketball team plays, is illuminated Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File/AP Newsroom)
The majority of his political donations, however, went to Protect Our Future PAC, a group founded in January dedicated to bolstering candidates committed to preventing future pandemics.
Wednesday was Bankman-Fried affected by a class action filed by investors who alleged that he and other high-profile celebrities — such as legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady and NBA star Stephen Curry — violated Florida law and caused consumers to suffer more than $11 billion in damages.
Fox News’ Kristen Altus and Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.
