A political action committee, Think Big PAC, is deploying attacks referencing the disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried in an effort to influence the Democratic primary race for New York’s 12th Congressional District, targeting candidate Alex Bores. A recent mailer sent to voters alleges that Bores received over $100,000 in support from Bankman-Fried’s political network, framing the funds as a sign of questionable judgment.
The mailer, which asserts “Bankman-Fried’s buddies are bankrolling Bores for Congress,” criticizes Bores’ campaign financing and attempts to portray him as disconnected from the concerns of his potential constituents. It urges voters to “do better than Bores,” according to reporting from CoinDesk, which confirmed the financial contributions through state election filings.
Think Big PAC, which describes itself as supporting candidates aligned with pro-technology policies and opposing those perceived as hostile to artificial intelligence innovation, has already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertisements targeting Bores. Earlier ads attacked his previous employment at Palantir, prompting a cease-and-desist letter from the Bores campaign accusing the PAC of disseminating “false and defamatory statements.”
The focus on Bankman-Fried’s past support for Bores comes as the candidate competes in a crowded primary field that includes Jack Schlossberg, a member of the Kennedy family, and George Conway, a prominent conservative attorney. The race to succeed Representative Jerry Nadler in Manhattan is anticipated to be a closely watched contest in the 2026 election cycle.
Bores has recently gained attention for introducing legislation at the state level aimed at establishing safety and accountability measures for artificial intelligence systems. A spokesperson for Think Big PAC suggested to CoinDesk that this legislative push may have made Bores a target, stating, “For someone who’s railed against deep fake AI, candidate Bores doesn’t seem to have trouble creating his own reality.” The spokesperson further claimed Bores “refuses to acknowledge the connection” to Bankman-Fried’s political network.
Bankman-Fried and other FTX executives were significant political donors in the 2022 election cycle, supporting candidates across the political spectrum before the collapse of FTX and subsequent fraud convictions. An analysis revealed that 196 members of Congress received campaign contributions from Bankman-Fried or affiliated executives during that period. Bores was one of only two state-level candidates in New York to receive support from SBF-affiliated PACs, the other being Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado.
As Hochul considers an A.I. Bill, its sponsor throws her a fund-raiser, according to The New York Times.
Bores’ campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment from CoinDesk regarding the attacks from Think Big PAC.
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