Sign Up on MEXC
Highlights
- Sam Bankman-Fried's family was allegedly involved in his political donation spree.
- Emails disclosed by WSJ highlight the involvement of SBF's family in embezzlement of funds toward political donations.
- Two former FTX executives were also allegedly involved in the scheme.
New fraud allegations have surfaced around Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the founder of the defunct crypto exchange FTX. SBF’s family is now accused of being involved in a $100 million illicit political donation scheme. Moreover, these claims can lead to intense legal trouble for the accused.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s Family Accused Of Illegal Political Donation
Emails disclosed by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) have brought to light the extensive involvement of SBF’s family in orchestrating these political contributions. Furthermore, an important point to note is that these donations were allegedly funded by misappropriated FTX customer assets.
Prosecutors asserted that Bankman-Fried orchestrated a sprawling influence campaign ahead of the 2022 election, leveraging stolen customer funds to the tune of over $100 million. The newly revealed emails suggest that key family members played pivotal roles in the scheme. These include SBF’s parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried, along with his brother, Gabriel Bankman-Fried. They managed these funds and directed donations to various political causes and candidates.
Moreover, Joe Bankman, a Stanford University law professor, is accused of advising on financial strategies to facilitate these political donations. The WSJ reports that emails show Joe Bankman’s direct involvement in the illicit operations, indicating he was well aware of the illegal straw-donor scheme.
Barbara Fried, who co-founded the political action committee (PAC) Mind the Gap, allegedly used her position to channel funds towards progressive groups and initiatives. Meanwhile, Gabriel Bankman-Fried is accused of directing donations to pandemic prevention efforts. This coordinated effort to disperse funds across the political spectrum aimed to amplify their influence and support favored causes without drawing attention to the origin of the donations.
Also Read: Fmr Obama Solicitor Says Regulators Are “Deliberately Debanking Crypto”
Former FTX Execs Also Involved
David Mason, ex-chairman of the Federal Election Commission (FCE), weighed in on the matter. Mason highlighted that the evidence presented in the emails constituted “strong evidence” of Joe Bankman’s knowledge and participation in the scheme.
The political donation scheme, as detailed by the WSJ, also involved Ryan Salame and Nishad Singh, two former FTX executives. They have already pleaded guilty to participating in the illegal straw-donor scheme. According to prosecutors, Salame directed funds to Republican candidates to dissociate the contributions from Bankman-Fried, while Singh supported liberal candidates.
The allegations have led to several legal proceedings, with the potential for significant legal liabilities for those involved. Moreover, Mason’s remarks underscore the gravity of the situation. It suggests that Joe Bankman could face direct legal consequences under campaign finance laws if the allegations are substantiated.
Despite the mounting evidence, a spokesperson for Joe Bankman has refuted claims of his involvement. They stated that Bankman had “no knowledge of any alleged campaign finance violations.” This defense, however, stands in stark contrast to the detailed emails that have surfaced.
Also Read: Just-In: Mt. Gox Starts Repaying Creditors, Bitcoin To Dip Further?
- SEC’s Paul Atkins Pushes for On-Chain Capital Raising Without Uncertainty
- SEC Delays Decision On Staking For BlackRock’s Ethereum ETF
- SEC Delays Decision on Franklin Templeton’s Solana and XRP ETFs
- BNB Hits New ATH As Binance Partners With $1.6T Franklin Templeton
- Crypto Market, S&P 500 Rally as PPI Data Fuels Rate Cut Hopes
- Pump Price Forecast as $12M Buyback Fuels Scarcity — Is $0.01 in Sight?
- SUI Price Prediction as Mysten Labs Meets SEC Ahead of ETF Decision—Is $7.5 Next?
- Can Dogecoin Price Hit $1 as Derivative Volume Jumps Ahead of DOGE ETF Launch
- Bitcoin Price Prediction Eyes $150K as Trump Calls for Aggressive 100 BPS Rate Cut
- Solana Price Prediction: Can Nasdaq Listing and $94M Holdings Propel SOL Toward $400?
