The cryptocurrency industry PAC spent 11.4 million dollars to oppose Sherrod Brown's return to the Senate

The political action committee (PAC) Defend American Jobs, allied with the cryptocurrency industry and primarily funded by the industry, disclosed in documents submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that it has spent $11.4 million on media advertising to support Republican Jon Husted and oppose Democrat Sherrod Brown in the campaign for the Ohio U.S. Senate seat.

This PAC is affiliated with Fairshake, which is supported by Coinbase and Ripple Labs. This advertising expenditure is part of Fairshake's commitment to initially invest $30 million to prevent Brown from returning to the Senate. Brown, a former chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, is one of the critical voices in Congress regarding cryptocurrency legislation and policy.

In the 2024 Ohio Senate election, the showdown between Brown and Republican Bernie Moreno attracted over $300 million in spending from external groups like Fairshake, with cryptocurrency-related PACs and their affiliates spending about $41 million opposing Brown and supporting Moreno, who ultimately won with 50.2% of the vote. Husted's seat was appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, succeeding JD Vance, who was elected as the Vice President of the United States in 2024.