1 year ago
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried visited the White House to sermon pandemic prevention and cryptocurrency, according to a connection connected Jan. 3.
White House property caput Karine Jean-Pierre said:
“The White House regularly engages with officials from a scope of industries and sectors … this gathering with Sam Bankman-Fried was focused connected pandemic prevention-related matters and cryptocurrency and crypto exchanges.”
Specifically, Jean-Pierre said that those meetings focused connected pandemic prevention efforts from 1 of Bankman-Fried’s foundations. Though she did not bespeak which instauration was discussed, attendees whitethorn person discussed the now-defunct FTX Future Fund, who erstwhile donated $1.5 cardinal to Stanford University for pandemic prevention.
The attendees whitethorn besides person discussed Guarding Against Pandemics — a non-profit enactment formerly operated by Bankman-Fried’s brother, Gabriel. Gabriel Bankman-Fried was contiguous astatine immoderate of the White House meetings.
Jean-Pierre admitted that the meetings progressive discussions astir the cryptocurrency industry, emphasizing “general.” She said:
“The medication has been wide astir the request for Congress to instrumentality action…when we speech astir addressing cryptocurrency.”
Concerning authorities enactment connected crypto, Jean-Pierre noted that President Biden released an executive order connected cryptocurrency past March and released a consumer extortion framework past fall. She besides noted that Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, has renewed calls for cryptocurrency regulation.
Bankman-Fried visited with White House unit connected astatine slightest 4 occasions past year. The archetypal 3 visits took spot successful April, and May 2022, and the astir caller successful September. Those meetings were attended by Steve Ricchetti, Counselor to the President, and Bruce Reed, White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
Bankman-Fried’s governmental activities person travel nether scrutiny owed to his predominant governmental donations. Naturally, immoderate visits to the White House whitethorn rise suspicion that helium visited to power the Democratic enactment to make much permissive laws and regulations that would favour his cryptocurrency company.
Indeed, Bankman-Fried has openly aimed to power politics. He donated $40 cardinal to assorted U.S. politicians — mostly Democrats — implicit the past governmental cycle. Bankman-Fried aboriginal defended his actions by stating that helium besides softly donated to Republican politicians and that his donations were focused connected pandemic prevention.
Bankman-Fried’s governmental activities were nevertheless included successful caller allegations, arsenic helium was charged with conspiracy to debar run concern regulations past month.
The station White House says SBF meetings acrophobic pandemic prevention, not conscionable crypto appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.
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