Bankman-Fried claims 2022 arrest was political retaliation
Sam Bankman-Fried, the jailed founder of the collapsed FTX exchange, posted on GETTR through an intermediary that his December 2022 arrest in the Bahamas was political retaliation by the Biden administration after he allegedly shifted large donations to Republicans.
Bankman-Fried wrote that he moved from center-left politics in 2020 to a centrist stance by 2022 and "privately donated tens of millions to Republicans." He said federal enforcement actions followed weeks later and that his arrest came weeks before a crypto bill he was working on was scheduled for a vote and the night before he was due to testify before Congress.
At the time, House Republicans requested internal Securities and Exchange Commission communications about the timing of the arrest. The SEC’s Office of Inspector General reported that an automated IT policy erased text messages from then‑Chair Gary Gensler’s government‑issued mobile devices between October 2022 and September 2023.
The OIG noted the agency pursued other enforcement actions against crypto firms during that period. Bankman-Fried cited the missing messages as central to his claim that the timing of his arrest was coordinated.
Public records show Bankman-Fried was among 2022’s biggest Democratic donors, giving around $37–$40 million, while he later claimed he routed comparable sums to Republicans as unreported “dark” money. After FTX’s collapse, the estate demanded politicians return $93 million in contributions. Other FTX executives, notably Ryan Salame, heavily funded Republican causes.
Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 on fraud and conspiracy counts for misusing customer funds at FTX. He is serving a 25-year sentence and is appealing his conviction. Reports in January 2025 said his parents were exploring seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump.
He added that he could not post directly from prison and must "dictate to a friend via approved BOP phone/email." The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department did not yet provide comment on his latest statements.
Public records show Bankman-Fried was among 2022’s biggest Democratic donors, giving around $37–$40 million, while he later claimed he routed comparable sums to Republicans as unreported “dark” money. After FTX’s collapse, the estate demanded politicians return $93 million in contributions. Other FTX executives, notably Ryan Salame, heavily funded Republican causes.
Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 on fraud and conspiracy counts for misusing customer funds at FTX. He is serving a 25-year sentence and is appealing his conviction. Reports in January 2025 said his parents were exploring seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump.
He added that he could not post directly from prison and must "dictate to a friend via approved BOP phone/email." The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department did not yet provide comment on his latest statements.
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