No evidence crypto company FTX laundered Ukraine aid money to Democrats
No, there isn't any evidence that FTX laundered U.S. aid money sent to Ukraine back to Democratic lawmakers.
Source format Text
Read MoreNo evidence crypto company FTX laundered Ukraine aid money to Democrats
What Is Behind Claim Joe Biden ‘Laundered’ Billions in Ukraine Aid via FTX?
The claim that funds were effectively "laundered" from Ukraine via FTX back into the U.S., less so to the Democratic party coffers or Biden himself, is unevidenced.
Newsweek has investigated the coverage of this claim across social media and larger media outlets and could find no transaction ID, statements, or any other tangible evidence to support the idea that U.S. funding or crypto donations were washed back to the Democratic Party, through a Ukrainian investment in FTX or otherwise.
The claim does not acknowledge the auditing and scrutiny that U.S. foreign aid receives to ensure that it is spent appropriately on measures relating to Ukrainian assistance.
No evidence Ukraine aid ‘laundered’ to Democrats through FTX
An article shared thousands of times on social media claims FTX, a now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, funneled US aid meant for Ukraine to Democratic candidates running in the midterm elections instead. This is unproven; public records show no evidence supporting the allegation, which Kyiv, the Pentagon, FTX partners and experts have said is inaccurate.
Video game clip falsely shared as footage of Russian tanks struck by US-supplied missiles in Ukraine
A video viewed tens of thousands of times on social media has been falsely shared as showing Ukrainian troops attacking Russian tanks with US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles. While the missiles are among armaments sent by the United States and Western countries to Ukraine after Russia's invasion in February 2022, the clip in fact shows footage from the video game ARMA 3.
FTX helped with a cryptocurrency fundraising site, but there’s no connection to U.S. aid to Ukraine
FTX, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, announced on Nov. 11 it had filed for bankruptcy. Sam Bankman-Fried resigned as the company's CEO. He is a large donor to Democrats, but has also given to Republicans.
FTX partnered with a fundraising site called Aid for Ukraine, where people can donate cryptocurrency to help the country's war effort. FTX's role in the project was to facilitate the conversion of cryptocurrency into regular currency.
There's no evidence that U.S. aid money sent to Ukraine was then used to invest in FTX. Most U.S. aid doesn't go directly to the Ukrainian government, but rather through third parties like contractors or humanitarian groups.
Our ruling
An Instagram post claimed that U.S. aid money sent to Ukraine is being funneled back in the form of campaign contributions to Democrats through the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
FTX's former CEO was a large donor to Democrats, but has also given to Republicans. The company's connection to Ukraine was partnering with a fundraising site called Aid to Ukraine that allows people to donate cryptocurrency for the country's war effort. That money was then transferred to the Ukrainian government, not the other way around.
There is no evidence to support the claim. We rate this False.
Update, Nov. 16, 2022: This story was updated to include statements from the U.S. State Department, the United States Agency for International Development and Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation that were received after publication. It also clarifies the job title for Alex Bornyakov. The rating is unchanged.
FACT CHECK: Russia Claims Not A ‘Single Piece Of Military Equipment’ Was Left Behind In Kherson Retreat | Check Your Fact
Verdict: False
Visual evidence shows the Russian military left equipment behind in the area. Experts and open-source intelligence (OSINT) accounts that track the conflict said the claim was false.
Fact check: Does the EU prioritize Ukrainian refugees?
Claim: Ukrainian refugees are given priority.
DW fact check: True
FACT CHECK: Did The U.K. Suspend Aid To Ukraine? | Check Your Fact
Verdict: False
The U.K. has not suspended their funding to Ukraine. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeatedly affirmed his support for Ukraine.
FACT CHECK: Did Time Magazine Publish This Image Of The British Home Secretary Wearing A Swastika? | Check Your Fact
Verdict: False
This image is digitally fabricated. A spokesperson for Time Magazine confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact that the image is not an authentic cover.
Has China Initiated Zero Conflicts Since Founding of PRC?
False. As attested by a number of experts and published authors on modern Chinese history, the claim in Kim Dotcom's tweet that modern China has initiated zero conflicts is false.
The People's Republic of China has started a number of conflicts, trained revolutionaries, and contributed to other conflicts in Asia. It appears that the "no conflicts" claim was made by Xi Jinping in 2021.