Key facts
- Fairshake affiliate Protect Progress PAC spent nearly $1 million on ads in Michigan's 13th congressional district primary.
- The PAC supports incumbent Democrat Shri Thanedar and opposes challenger Donavan McKinney.
- McKinney alleges the spending is a reward for Thanedar's pro-crypto voting record.
- Thanedar has supported crypto legislation and invested campaign funds in crypto companies.
- Other Fairshake affiliates are supporting candidates in Arizona and Washington state.
An affiliate of the cryptocurrency-aligned political action committee (PAC) Fairshake has spent nearly $1 million on media supporting incumbent Michigan Representative Shri Thanedar and opposing his challenger, Donavan McKinney, in the upcoming Aug. 4 primary for Michigan's 13th congressional district. The Protect Progress PAC reported expenditures exceeding $986,000, continuing a trend from 2024 when it spent about $1 million to support Thanedar's previous election victory.
McKinney criticized the spending, stating that "the crypto lobby is paying my opponent back for helping Trump." He noted Thanedar's voting record, which includes support for crypto-related bills like the CLARITY Act and GENIUS Act, and his reported investment of $3.7 million in campaign funds into crypto companies, resulting in a loss of over $600,000 in the second quarter of 2026.
Fairshake and its affiliates have amassed a war chest of $191 million to influence elections and support candidates perceived as pro-crypto. Beyond Michigan, the Protect Progress PAC has also spent over $100,000 supporting Representative Greg Stanton's reelection in Arizona, who also voted for crypto-friendly legislation and won his primary. In Washington state, the Defend American Jobs PAC has spent over $65,000 to support Republican Amanda McKinney, a candidate who has publicly backed crypto and is running for a seat vacated by Representative Dan Newhouse.