Rising Crypto-Politico: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Bought Crypto in 2017
August 20, 2018 by William Peaster
Last week, U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s 2nd District Tulsi Gabbard reported in a routine financial disclosure form December 2017 purchases of ether and litecoin. Both purchases were within the $1,000- $15,000 USD reporting bracket. Rep. Gabbard, who was rumored to be a top candidate for Bernie Sanders’ Vice Presidential nod in 2016, is the latest politician whose actions suggest attention around crypto has reached on high in Washington.
Also read: Bitcoin Price Looks Promising as Bull Rally Continues to Develop
Subscribe to the Bitsonline YouTube channel for great videos featuring industry insiders & experts
ETH, LTC for the Rumored VP Candidate
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, an oft-called “rising star” in U.S. politics, disclosed in her latest Financial Disclosure Report to the Clerk of the House of the Representatives her December 2017 purchases of ether and litecoin.
The routine filing, conducted annually for transparency, showed that Rep. Gabbard had “ETHEREUM” and “LITECOIN” among her Schedule A assets as of the end of last year. Exact amounts were unspecified, with the report indicating only that the digital assets’ respective values were over $1,000 but less than $15,000.
There was no indication in the form regarding whether the congresswoman still owned the assets.
While the cryptoverse is ever-maturing and is nearing its first decade of existence, it is notable for any U.S. politicos to be owners of cryptocurrency. Rep. Gabbard’s newly revealed ownership of ether and litecoin bears added intrigue for the space, then, because her recent ascent in America’s political scene has led her to becoming an influential and high-profile voice in the Democratic Party.
The Hawaii congresswoman began hitting mainstream awareness outside of political circles when she resigned from the Democratic National Committee in February 2016 to endorse Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. She thereafter nominated Sanders for president at the 2016 DNC Convention. She was widely considered by analysts to be among the top candidates for the Vice Presidency on Sanders’ ultimately unsuccessful campaign.
At the time, Rep. Gabbard was characterized as legitimizing the underdog. Now, somewhat similarly, her revealed ownership of ETH and LTC and her willingness to take the dive on the assets in the first place seemingly constitutes the highest-profile mainstream legitimizing cryptocurrencies have had yet on Capitol Hill.
Her future in the U.S. political arena — and her official stance toward crypto-centric regulatory questions — remains to be seen for now. However, in being one of the youngest members of Congress, Rep. Gabbard seems poised to be more open-minded than some of her older, more traditional peers.
In Washington, Crypto on the Brain
Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general have been an increasingly prevalent topic in D.C.
Bitcoin political donations are growing. The dawn of bitcoin-based political attack ads is already upon us. Coinbase has formed its own PAC for lobbying purposes. Russian military hackers have been mining bitcoin. President Trump recently signed his first executive order that dealt with “digital currency fraud.” And there have been more than a trickle of relevant hearings on the Hill lately.
We’ve seen Senate and House crypto-centric hearings on elections, the agricultural industry, and beyond as of late.
It’s clear there’s no going back now — Congress and the powers-that-be now have to contend with the fact that cryptocurrencies in general are here to stay.
What’s your take? Is it only a matter of time until owning crypto is normal for politicians? Let us know in the comments below.
Images via International Business Times, Zimbio
