FTX’s disgraced founder Sam Bankman-Fried gave fake names to make political donations
Brady Knox
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Former cryptocurrency mogul and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been accused by United States authorities of violating multiple campaign finance laws, including donating to political candidates under other people’s names.
Bankman-Fried, who was arrested in the Bahamas on Monday and is expected to be extradited to the U.S., was accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, laundering money, and conspiring to “defraud the United States,” via violating campaign finance laws, according to the unsealed indictment. Partially by donating under other people’s names, he donated far in excess of the $25,000 limit entrenched in U.S. law.
“From at least in or about 2020, up to and including in or about November 2022, in the Southern District of New York, and elsewhere, SAMUEL BANKMAN-FRIED… and others known and unknown, knowingly did combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together and with each other to defraud the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and willfully and knowingly did combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together and with each other to commit offenses against the United States by engaging in violations of federal law involving the making, receiving, and reporting of a contribution, donation, or expenditure, in violation of Title 52,” the indictment read.
The indictment also alleges that Bankman-Fried and “one or more” conspirators agreed to making contributions to candidates and committees in New York in the name of another person.