RFK Jr., a presidential candidate, has been caught in a lie about his Bitcoin (BTC) investment. According to a CNBC report, he previously stated publicly he “was not an investor” in Bitcoin, though a financial disclosure form revealed he held upwards of $250,000 in the cryptocurrency. At the Bitcoin Miami conference, he said he’d “defend the right of self-custody of Bitcoin and other digital assets” and that his campaign was accepting BTC donations, though he personally did not own any of the cryptocurrency.
“I am not here to give investment advice,” he stated. However, a filing obtained by CNBC showed he invested at least $100,001 in crypto between the date of the conference and the end of June. RFK’s campaign confirmed the purchase.
Virginia Canter, principal counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a Washington D.C.-based ethics organization, said Kennedy’s investment is a potential conflict of interest, a claim Kennedy campaign manager Dennis Kucinich denied. Canter’s claim is that, if a politician endorses an investment he or his family members hold, it shows bias, and can be perceived as untoward.
The filing showed the crypto holdings returned less than $201 in income. Kennedy has garnered support among a number of Bitcoiners including Block CEO Jack Dorsey. He has been outspoken in his support of crypto, including criticizing a proposed 30% tax on crypto mining and calling a recent spate of regulatory action against the industry “an extra-legal war” that has damaged the country’s economic prospects.