U.S. Congressman Tom Emmer said in a tweet that he had received reports that the SEC chairman Gary Gensler was allegedly helping Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX “work on legal loopholes to obtain a regulatory monopoly.”
Crypto community questions Gensler and SBF relationship
The crypto community has questioned the relationship between Gensler and the FTX founder, with many labeling it shady.
Speculation within the community alleged that SBF’s regulation drive was fueled by attempts to control the crypto space. Some also speculated that the SEC chairman was influenced by relationships from his time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
A tweet from RH Cult stated that Gensler’s boss at MIT was Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison’s father. SBF’s Wikipedia page shows he graduated from the school in 2014.
Additionally, SBF met with Gensler earlier this year, which caused the community to scrutinize his donations to politicians.
General Counsel at Delphi Digital, Gabriel Shapiro, labelled the money FTX spent as “political bribes.”
Popular crypto lawyer Jake Chervinsky said FTX was close to making a deal with the financial regulator, which would have set a harmful precedent for everyone else. Chervinsky thanked Congressman Emmer for looking into these allegations.
Meanwhile, reports revealed that US lawmakers are pushing the SBF-backed bill forward with plans to increase oversight over the crypto space. Several crypto industry leaders have criticized the bill.
SEC reportedly investigating SBF
In a separate development, Bloomberg News reported that the SEC is investigating whether SBF and his firms violated securities regulation, citing anonymous sources.
According to the report, the regulator was scrutinizing SBF’s role in the recent liquidity crisis. It added that the watchdog was also investigating whether FTX.US and its crypto-lending activities violated the law.
FTX has come under intense regulatory scrutiny following its implosion. U.S. regulators are probing the relationship between SBF’s myriad businesses and whether the crypto exchange mishandled customer funds.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
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