Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Who took FTX campaign cash

Saturday, December 24, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Who took FTX campaign cash

FROM DEC 6, 2022 IN SPAM FOLDER!

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FTX FALLOUT — Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark isn’t demanding her fellow Democrats return campaign contributions from FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. In doing so, she’s giving Rep. Jake Auchincloss some cover.

Clark, who will be House Democrats’ No. 2 come January, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that it's "going to be up to individual campaigns" to decide whether to return the money they've taken from the embattled cypto entrepreneur. Bankman-Fried funneled tens of millions of dollars toward the party's candidates this cycle, per OpenSecrets.

That includes Auchincloss, who received the max contribution, $5,800, from Bankman-Fried in March. Auchincloss also received $5,800 from Mark Wetjen, FTX’s U.S. head of policy, and $2,900 from Brett Harrison, the former president of FTX’s U.S. arm, FEC records show.

Auchincloss spokesperson Matt Corridoni declined to say whether the congressman would follow other Democrats in returning or donating Bankman-Fried’s contributions. Auchincloss appears to be the only delegation member who received a direct donation from Bankman-Fried this cycle. A spokesperson for Rep. Jim McGovern, who records show received $2,900 from the FTX leader’s brother, Gabriel Bankman-Fried, didn't respond.

Corridoni also wouldn’t comment on the timing of Bankman-Fried’s donation. FEC filings show the money hit Auchincloss’ account six days before the congressman joined a March letter warning the Securities and Exchange Commission against using its enforcement division to investigate cryptocurrency and blockchain companies. The lawmakers argued such probes might be “at odds” with the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Auchincloss defended the letter in an MSNBC interview last week by saying it didn’t mention FTX. The lawmakers, he said, were “not asking for the SEC to back off” but were asking the “SEC to focus on the whales, not the minnows. FTX is clearly a whale.”

Auchincloss “has been clear from Day One that crypto needs strong and clear laws from Congress,” Corridoni said. He pointed to an October 2021 hearing in which the congressman asked SEC Chair Gary Gensler how lawmakers could help strengthen crypto regulations. And he said Auchincloss supports having Bankman-Fried testify before the House Financial Services Committee he’s vice chair of.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. MassGOP state committeewoman Amy Carnevale is officially running for party chair.

Carnevale joins Vice Chair Jay Fleitman, operative Christopher Lyon and "All Politics is Local" host Jon Fetherston in the race to potentially replace Jim Lyons, who hasn’t said whether he’s seeking another term.

She made her announcement on Howie Carr’s radio show, a strategic move given the conservative host’s audience and his dour outlook on the party’s current leadership. Carr turned on GOP gubernatorial nominee Geoff Diehl earlier this year and has been increasingly critical of Lyons as Republicans’ electoral losses mount.

Carnevale promised a “fresh approach” focused on fundraising and a “positive message.” She also said the party needs a strategy for mail-in voting as Republicans across the country rethink their resistance to it .

TODAY — Gov.-elect Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu follow their first formal post-election meeting with a 1:45 p.m. press conference at City Hall. Wu celebrates Boston Housing Authority building upgrades in South Boston at 3 p.m. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito highlights improvements to Worcester’s Union Station at 9 a.m., attends an awards celebration at 10 a.m. at Worcester City Hall, presides over a Local Government Advisory Commission meeting at 1 p.m. and celebrates the Community Compact program at 2 p.m. at the State House. Clark and Democrats’ incoming leadership team host a press conference at 2 p.m. at the Capitol.

Tips? Scoops? Running for MassGOP chair? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “November Tax Collections Outpace Benchmark,” by Colin A. Young, State House News Service (paywall): “Tax collectors at the Department of Revenue raked in $2.382 billion last month, which is less than what was collected during November 2021 but still more than 10 percent more than what the Baker administration had been expecting. November 2022 tax receipts were down $32 million or 1.3 percent compared to November 2021, which DOR attributed to a difference in the timing of collection of a certain tax type this year. DOR had set last month's benchmark at $2.161 billion but exceeded that by $221 million or 10.2 percent.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Advocates ask Boston City Council for help housing migrants,” by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: “In a video shared with GBH News, a recently arrived migrant rests his head on a small mattress squeezed beneath a plastic kitchen table, just next to a refrigerator. He is paying rent to sleep in a tiny space in someone else’s apartment. It is just one example of the dire circumstances for migrants in Massachusetts, according to nonprofit advocates testifying Monday before the Boston City Council Committee on Civil Rights and Immigrant Advancement. … [Councilor Ruthzee] Louijeune held Monday’s hearing to get testimony from advocates on the ground in the hopes of better allocating city resources while some lawmakers push to dedicate more funds at the state level. Advocates overwhelmingly said migrants’ need is growing, and that more than anything, housing is what’s needed.”

— Related: “Mass. continues work on migrant intake center, has yet to announce opening date,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “The Bob Eisengrein Community Center, capable of housing about 60 families or up to 125 individuals, will be transformed into temporary shelter space with sleeping cots, pillows, clean linens and towels, the state official told MassLive. There will be portable shower units, space for three daily meals and recreation areas. In a separate dedicated space, the Multi-Agency Resource Center will feature meeting rooms and computers, the official said.”

— “Boston to set up 11 waste water testing sites to increase COVID-19 detection,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “With COVID-19 levels in waste water rising in the region, officials in Boston have partnered with vendors to set up 11 waste water testing sites across the city, the leader of the Boston Public Health Commission said Monday. … City officials are using $3.9 million in federal funding to pay for the project.”

— “After ‘76 visit, a reversal of public fortune for royals and the city,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “When William Mountbatten-Windsor, better known as ‘the Prince of Wales,’ stepped into the hallway outside the mayor of Boston’s office last Wednesday, he was greeted by black-and-white pictures of his late grandmother, who made her own visit here nearly 50 years ago. Despite the beaming local officials who joined her then in the pictures that were put up on the walls ahead of his visit, it was a different Boston back in 1976. ‘Royal respite for beleaguered Boston,’ said the July headline in The Phoenix, an alternative weekly. … Forty-six years later, the situation has been reversed: Over the course of three days, Mountbatten-Windsor and his wife Kate Middleton basked in the green light of a Boston on an upswing.”

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “'A really great milestone': The first South Coast Rail train rolls into Freetown station,” by Jo C. Goode, Herald News: “Bringing the $158 million South Coast Rail project to the South Coast in Fall River, New Bedford and surrounding communities is not just about transportation, it's also about fairness to the region. Those were some of the sentiments at the ribbon cutting at the new Freetown Commuter Rail Station in Assonet Monday led by Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and Secretary of Transportation Jamey Tesler. … The new stations in Fall River, New Bedford and Freetown will be operational this time next year as crews finish the long-awaited South Coast Rail which has been in the works for nearly four decades, but became a reality under the Baker-Polito administration.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

— “Congressman Seth Moulton resumes push for passage of Afghan Adjustment Act,” by Brendan Deady, GBH News: “Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton says that the Biden Administration’s treatment of Afghan refugees could hurt the U.S. military’s ability to form relationships with locals during future and ongoing conflicts. Moulton, who served four combat tours in Iraq, said on Boston Public Radio that the Biden Administration has failed to deliver on its promise that it would assist Afghan nationals who acted as handlers and translators to U.S. servicemembers. … Moulton once again advocated for the passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act. The legislation would make it easier for Afghan nationals who settled in the U.S. following the American military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan to stay in the country.”

— “Biden administration extends immigration protections for Haitians,” by Rafael Bernal, The Hill: “Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday extended immigration protections for Haitians in the United States, granting work permits and deferral from deportation to those who were in the country as of Nov. 6. … ‘This decision will save lives and is the type of compassionate response this moment demands,’ tweeted Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), one of the Democrats leading the push asking for the TPS extension and redesignation.”

PROPAGANDA: A message from NextEra Energy:

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Court upholds decision to revoke permits for Springfield biomass plant,” by Dharna Noor, Boston Globe: “In a win for environmental justice and public health advocates, the state has delivered a major setback to a bitterly contested proposal to build a wood waste-burning power plant in Springfield. The plant’s developer, Palmer Renewable Energy, had promoted its plan for a $150 million 35-megawatt facility as a climate friendly alternative to fossil fuels. But it received intense opposition from locals and environmental justice advocates who said it would spew soot and toxic pollution that could aggravate health problems in nearby poor communities while also warming the climate.”

— “Healey committed to equitable clean energy transition, Gina McCarthy says,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Gina McCarthy, co-chair of [Gov.-elect Maura] Healey’s ‘Climate Readiness, Resiliency and Adaption’ transition policy committee, said the incoming governor wants to develop affordable climate plans that will not leave out or harm marginalized communities. … ‘We have a whole infrastructure of fossil fuels that will need, in some way, to transition out,’ McCarthy said in a virtual Boston Globe event Monday afternoon.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Report: Mass. business confidence rebounds,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Massachusetts employers are confident about the economic climate despite record high inflation, persistent labor shortages and the passage of a new income tax that could affect thousands of businesses, according to a new report. The latest Business Confidence Index, which is compiled by the pro-business group Associated Industries of Massachusetts, shows overall enthusiasm among employers edged up 7.8 points to 58.7 in November.”

— “Medford teachers vote no confidence in mayor, school committee,” by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald: “Following months of unresolved, overdue contract negotiations, Medford teachers gathered outside City Hall Monday afternoon to deliver an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the mayor and school committee. … The negotiations have come close to a resolution, even reaching a tentative agreement that was ultimately voted down by educators.”

— “Worcester to spend $1 million of ARPA funds for fuel assistance for struggling families,” by Kiernan Dunlop, MassLive.

— “Boston marketing firms urge clients to stop advertising on Twitter,” by Grant Welker, Boston Business Journal.

JOIN WEDNESDAY FOR A POLITICO DISCUSSION ON THE NEW TRAVEL EXPERIENCE : Americans are now traveling in record numbers — but the travel experience has changed drastically in recent years, not always for the better. What lessons can we learn from the pandemic and different responses around the globe? And in the face of a possible recession, what will help the travel industry remain vibrant and deliver jobs? Join POLITICO on Dec. 7 for “The Travel Experience Redefined” to discuss these questions and more. Breakfast and coffee will be provided. REGISTER HERE .

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— THE OTHER LOCAL GOP LEADERSHIP FIGHT: New Hampshire Republican National Committeeman Chris Ager is running for state party chair. Ager, who’s also the Hillsborough County Republicans’ chair, announced his candidacy Monday after Steve Stepanek said last week he wouldn’t seek a third term as party leader. Failed U.S. Senate candidate Don Bolduc is among those running for the vice chair seat being vacated by Pamela Tucker. Leadership elections are set for late January.

— FITN FALLOUT: Granite State Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan skipped last night’s congressional ball at the White House in a show of anger over President Joe Biden’s plan to make South Carolina the first 2024 Democratic presidential primary and have New Hampshire and Nevada follow on a shared date, per Punchbowl News and The Hill .

And top Republicans have denounced the DNC’s demand that New Hampshire repeal the law requiring its primary to be held at least a week before any others. The DNC is also telling New Hampshire to make early voting easier if it wants to stay in the early state window. The RNC is not changing its 2024 calendar, which maintains New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary.

PROPAGANDA: A message from NextEra Energy:

NextEra Energy is the first company committed to reaching Real Zero™, as in 100% clean energy. We’re not just offsetting carbon emissions — we’re eliminating them.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. Peter Durant, Tim Biba, Matt Chilliak, Adam Hogue, Ali Schmidt-Fellner and Hanna Switlekowski.

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