First on FOX: One of the leading players in the crypto and artificial intelligence (AI) industry that is comfortable with the Trump administration is a longtime democratic operative and donor who has supported anti-Trump efforts and candidates while working for democratic activists and stacked businesses.
According to FEC records, Chris Leharn, a veteran political strategist who dates back to the Clinton administration, has donated more than $150,000 to Democrats, many of whom have been outspoken about Trump’s critics for several years.
LeHarn was a major supporter of Sen. Mark Warner, who convicted Trump at the 2021 Munition Each Trial and voted to convict him against some of Trump’s Cabinet candidates. He also hosted a San Francisco fundraiser for Virginia Senators in March along with Open AI Sam Altman.
Warner has been a key figure in resistance to the Trump administration, including being a voice critic of the Trump administration’s “sloppy” signal chat controversy and pushing for the administration’s doge’s push against government waste, fraud and abuse. Lehane also donated thousands of dollars to the Biden and Harris campaigns.
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Chris Leharn and Donald Trump (Getty)
In 2024, Lehane joined the Coinbase board of directors. It operates one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges and has played an active role influencing Crypto and AI policies in recent months.
Coinbase’s board and well-known investors donate more than $22 million to Democratic candidates and committees, while donating less than $5 million to Republicans, FEC records show.
These donations include nearly $50,000 to Kamala Harris’ campaign since 2009. This includes a presidential campaign from Ron Conway, a top Coinbase investor and Democratic donor.
Conway has donated more than $300,000 to the DNC, over $1.5 million to the DCCC, and millions of dollars to the House Maily PAC and the Senate majority PAC, FEC Records shows.
Since 1999, board member Fred Wilson has given political campaigns and committees more than $2 million, of which only $17,600 has been sent to Republicans, FEC records show.
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Additionally, Coinbase’s Global Advisory Council has amassed Trump critics, including Biden, Obama and Hillary Clinton voter John Anzeron. Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Former Democratic mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigoza. Former GOP Sen. Pat Tohmy said in September he wouldn’t vote for Trump. Stephanie Murphy, a former Democratic lawmaker, served on the January 6 selection committee.
Coinbase’s US public relations director Julia Krieger previously worked in media affairs with American Bridge, a Democratic opposition research firm. She also played multiple roles in the Biden administration and the 2020 Biden campaign.
Coinbase has two Trump allies on its advisory committee. He recently served as chief operating officer of the Republican National Committee at David Urban, where he served multiple titles in the 2024 Trump campaign. Additionally, several members of Coinbase management have donated to Republicans, including Brian Armstrong and Paul Grawal.
President Donald Trump smiles after signing the executive order. (AP/Alex Brandon)
The company’s CEO, Armstrong, attended the Trump Whitehau Script Summit earlier this year.
Open secret data from the 2024 election cycle shows about 50-50 divisions between Coinbase’s donations to Congressional Democrats and Republicans.
“Our focus has always been a mission to support candidates who support crypto and blockchain innovation, and we are proud to do so,” Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Fariya Shirzad, a former top NSC employee of President George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital.
Lehane is also Vice President of Openai’s Global Affairs, which Fox News Digital reported recently. It pushed the cause of the left and partnered with a new AI initiative led by a group co-founded with a special climate presidential envoy, with several board members lined up with Democrats.
The longtime democratic operative is also the operating partner of Haun Ventures, with employees appearing to make a nearly exclusive donation to the Democrats. Since 2022, individuals listed as employed by Haun Ventures have made 43 individual political contributions, totaling over $110,000. All 43 of them were in Democratic candidates or organizations.
Leharn is believed to have coined the phrase “a vast right-wing plot” to explain the scandal of Monica Lewinsky while working in the Clinton administration, and has been labelled in the media as “master of political dark art.”
Man holding cryptocurrency coins (Cart “Cybergoo” Nutsson)
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“A shocking, another Trump aversion makes me feel comfortable with Trump for business purposes,” a person close to the Trump administration told Fox News Digital. “Trump won’t be fooled.”
Recently, Lehane has been speaking out about her efforts to prioritize Crypto and AI technology, and even visited the White House in March. He has “has held many meetings with Trump administration officials on AI policy and hopes that the full strategy will be released by the summer,” Axios reported.
“There is a real focus from the administration on developing an AI strategy to ensure that the US economic competitiveness and national security are prioritized,” Leharn told the outlet.
“Our work flow intersects with where the administration is ongoing.”
Lehane created Op-Ed for Fox News in March.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect that Ronconway is a top investor in Coinbase, not a board member.
Andrew Mark Miller is a Fox News reporter. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email him with tips to Andrewmark.miller@fox.com.
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