White House REFUSES To Confirm Whether President Joe Biden Will Return $5M In Campaign Funds From Disgraced FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried
Dec. 14 2022, Published 1:30 p.m. ET
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to confirm whether President Joe Biden will return more than $5 million he received as a campaign donation from the disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Bankman-Fried, who was arrested in the Bahamas on Monday night, reportedly donated $5.2 million to Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign against then-President Donald Trump.
But despite the 30-year-old’s recent arrest, and accusations Bankman-Fried conspired to defraud the United States in the form of violating campaign finance laws, Jean-Pierre refused to comment whether Biden will return the $5.2 million campaign donation when pressured by White House reporters on Tuesday.
“I’m limited on what I can say and anything that’s connected to political contributions from here, I would have to refer you to the DNC,” Biden’s press secretary responded when a reporter for the Associated Press asked about the multi-million-dollar donation.
“I’m asking the president’s opinion, though,” the AP reporter pressed further, at which point Jean-Pierre cited the Hatch Act – an act which prohibits civil service employees from engaging in certain forms of political activity.
“You asked me two questions: You asked me about will he return donations and then you asked me about his opinion,” Jean-Pierre explained. “I’m answering the first part, which is I’m covered by the Hatch Act from here. I’m limited on what I can say. And I just can’t talk to political contributions, or anything related to that.”
“I cannot speak to that from here,” she added.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on Monday night at the request of prosecutors from the US Attorney's office in the Southern District of New York.
The 30-year-old founder of the now bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, laundering money, and conspiring to defraud the United States in the form of violating campaign finance laws.
He is also reportedly facing a series of separate charges filed by the Securities Exchange Commission.
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The Department of Justice also claimed the embattled entrepreneur donated more than the $25,000 contribution limit to both Democratic and Republican candidates by donating money under the names of other people.
In total, Bankman-Fried is believed to have donated at least $73 million to members of both political parties, including $6 million to a super PAC for House Democrats, $3.5 million to the GOP's Senate Leadership Fund and $3 million to a fund for Senate Democrats.
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