“I Cannot Speak To This”: White House Won’t Say Whether Biden Will Return Donations From FTX’s Bankman-Fried

With Sam Bankman-Fried now officially in custody for allegedly swindling his investors out of “at least $1.8 billion”, questions have begun to swirl about whether or not campaign donations made by the former FTX CEO would be returned to the company, which is now trying to manage a bankruptcy.

In focus over the last few days has been campaign contributions that SBF made for President Biden’s 2020 campaign.

When asked about whether or not the Biden campaign would return 2020 contributions from Bankman-Fried, “White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t say Tuesday whether President Biden” would ask aides to return the cash, the NY Post reported. 

Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller asked her: “The president received campaign donations [from Bankman-Fried]. Will the president return that donation? Does he call on all politicians … to return those funds?” 

“So look, I’m covered here by the Hatch Act — [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,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answered.

Miller followed up, stating: “I’m asking the president’s opinion, though.”

But the press secretary continued to dodge the question, stating: “You asked me two questions: You asked me about will he return donations and then you asked me about his opinion. 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.”

“I just cannot speak to this from here, even his thoughts,” she continued. “Even his opinion, even his thoughts about the contributions, donations, I cannot speak about that from here.”

Bankman-Fried is now well known to be one of the Democratic party’s largest donors, and the Post reports that he even had the chance to meet with Biden’s White House advisers prior to the collapse of his firm. 

As Fox News notes, SBF sent $262,200 to Republicans throughout the 2021-2022 election cycle – a figure that pales compared to the $40 million he contributed to Democratic campaigns.