Super PAC tries to ‘bury a conversation’ on crypto with attack ads – Rep. Katie Porter
California representative Katie Porter, who lost her primary race for the United States Senate in March, suggested that ads designed by a political action committee (PAC) contributed to her defeat, but did not advance the national conversation on crypto.
In an interview with Pod Save America that aired on March 19, Porter questioned the motivation behind the $10 million spending spree by Fairshack, which is backed by cryptocurrency companies including Ripple and Coinbase, to disrupt her campaign for the US Senate. According to the California lawmaker, Fairshack's negative ads targeted her but failed to promote what could have been a productive discussion on crypto policy.
“This has not been a conversation that I think we should be having in Congress about crypto and technology,” Porter said. “This was not about crypto policy. This wasn't about engaging me, seeing what I thought, teaching me, coming to a policy understanding.
Porter was running for one of California's two US Senate seats, but was defeated in the March primary by Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey. Fairshack released an ad spot in February that Porter took campaign contributions from “big pharma, big oil and big banking executives” — which the Sacramento Bee said was “mostly false.”
Related: ‘Flood of money' from crypto Super PACs could be a challenge for Elizabeth Warren.
California Representative Claims Crypto-Related Policy and Conflicts of Interest Are Fair Game for Candidates, Calling Attack Ads “Burr”[ied] Discussion” instead of creating a debate on the issue. She believes blockchain technology can be a force for good and has encouraged robust discussions on crypto policy.
“They don't know what my crypto views are because they never asked.”
In the year Schiff and Garvey will meet in the November runoff, where other congressional seats are up for grabs as part of the 2024 general election. John Deaton, a lawyer representing crypto firms, announced his intention to compete with the crypto skeptic. Elizabeth Warren for one Massachusetts Senate seat.
Magazine: Opinion: GOP crypto maxis almost as bad as Dems' ‘anti-crypto army'
