Headline: AI-aligned PAC Weaponizes SBF Ties to Target NY Congressional Hopeful Alex Bores
A pro-technology political action committee with ties to major tech and crypto donors is using the specter of disgraced ex-FTX CEO Sam Bankman‑Fried to attack New York congressional candidate Alex Bores — even as Bores markets himself as an AI-safety legislator.
Think Big PAC, which backs candidates friendly to artificial‑intelligence and innovation agendas, sent a sharply worded mailer to voters in New York’s 12th Congressional District charging that Bores accepted more than $100,000 from donors connected to Bankman‑Fried. The mailer accuses “Bankman‑Fried’s buddies” of bankrolling Bores’ bid and urges voters to “do better than Bores,” while criticizing his financing and alignment with constituents.
“For someone who’s railed against deep fake AI, candidate Bores doesn’t seem to have trouble creating his own reality,” a Think Big PAC spokesperson told CoinDesk. “He raked in over $100,000 from Sam‑Bankman‑Fried’s sordid political network but refuses to acknowledge the connection.” CoinDesk confirmed the donation totals through state election filings.
Why Bores is a target
Bores, a first‑term state assemblymember representing parts of Manhattan, has recently authored state legislation aimed at imposing guardrails on advanced AI systems — a stance that would normally align him with an AI‑friendly PAC. Think Big says it supports candidates who champion pro‑technology policies and has previously spent to influence Democratic primaries in Ohio.
Still, the PAC has already deployed hundreds of thousands of dollars in TV and digital ads against Bores, including spots criticizing his past work at Palantir. Bores’ campaign responded by sending Think Big a cease‑and‑desist letter, accusing the group of running “false and defamatory statements.” The campaign has not responded to CoinDesk’s request for comment.
SBF’s political footprint and the broader context
The attack leverages the fallout from the collapse of crypto exchange FTX and the conviction of its former CEO, Sam Bankman‑Fried. In the 2022 cycle, Bankman‑Fried and FTX executives were among the biggest political donors in the U.S., supporting candidates across the aisle; a CoinDesk analysis found 196 members of Congress — more than one‑third — received support from SBF or affiliated executives during that period. Bores was notable as one of only two state‑level New York candidates to receive help from an SBF‑affiliated PAC in that cycle (the other was Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado).
The race for NY‑12 is a crowded, high‑profile Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler in a deep‑blue Manhattan district. Prominent contenders include Jack Schlossberg, a member of the Kennedy family, and figures such as George Conway, making the contest one of the more watched primaries of the 2026 cycle.
What it means
The episode highlights how AI‑focused political groups are increasingly willing to weaponize past crypto ties in intra‑party fights, even when the target’s record includes advocacy for AI oversight. For Bores, the SBF‑linked donations and ensuing ad barrage complicate a message centered on AI accountability at a moment when donors’ crypto histories remain politically toxic.
Read more: Congress' FTX Problem: 1 in 3 Members Got Cash From Crypto Exchange's Bosses
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