Fox: US Republicans suspect Democrats of financial ties to Ukraine

Several House Republicans are pressing Secretary of State Antony Blinken about their concerns that Ukraine military aid may have been improperly invested in the bankrupt crypto-exchange FTX Trading Limited.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, led the letter with several of his GOP colleagues to Blinken, expressing their concerns about the potential investment of Ukraine military financial aid into FTX, whose founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, made significant donations to Democrats this midterm cycle.

In the letter exclusively obtained by FOX Business, the lawmakers wrote it has come to their "attention that billions of taxpayer dollars sent to Ukraine to assist with their war efforts were potentially invested in a crypto exchange that then made massive donations to Democrats" during the midterm elections.

Nehls and the Republicans wrote the Ukrainian government officially partnered with FTX in March to "launch a crypto donations website, ‘Aid for Ukraine,’ within days of President Joe Biden pledging billions of American taxpayer dollars to assist the country with war efforts against the Russian invasion."

"While this partnership was touted as a way to assist Ukraine in cashing out crypto donations for ammunition and humanitarian aid, we have serious concerns that the Ukrainian government may have invested portions of the nearly $66 billion of US economic assistance into FTX to keep Democrats in power – and keep the money coming in," the lawmakers wrote.

The Republicans wrote that Bankman-Fried "was the second-largest contributor to Democrat-affiliated political action committees (PACS) and organizations, only behind liberal billionaire, George Soros."

"The Federal Election Commission (FEC) data found Bankman-Fried funneled nearly $40 million during the midterm election cycle, with most of his contributions to Protect our Future PAC and House Majority PAC, both of which exclusively supported Democratic candidates," they continued.

Nehls and his colleagues asked Blinken if the State Department has "any knowledge that anyone in the Biden Administration, Congress, or Democrat-affiliated PACs intended for the money the US sent to Ukraine to assist with the war efforts to be invested in a crypto exchange, including FTX, or be funneled back to the United States to influence the 2022 midterm elections" and, if so, who those actors are.

The lawmakers also asked if the Biden administration will audit the Ukrainian aid that has been sent so far.

Joining Nehls on the letter are three of his fellow GOP lawmakers: Reps. Louie Gohmert of Texas, Mary Miller of Illinois, and Byron Donalds of Florida.

A State Department spokesperson told Fox Business that the agency "has no reason to believe these reports are anything other than pure lies and misinformation."