Defend American Jobs, an affiliated group under the crypto-backed political action committee Fairshake, has spent $46.6 million in the Ohio Senate race, according to filings submitted to the U.S. Federal Election Commission on Oct. 15. The group is tied to Fairshake, which is primarily funded by Coinbase and Ripple Labs.
The money was used for media advertising aimed at opposing former lawmaker Sherrod Brown’s return to the Senate and supporting Republican incumbent Jon Husted. The total is more than 50% above Fairshake’s initial $30 million plan disclosed in September.
Brown responds to the ad campaign
In an interview on Pod Save America that aired on Oct. 16, Brown said he had spent his career fighting Wall Street, major pharmaceutical companies and oil giants, and had succeeded in many cases. He said Husted is a representative of those interests, which is why tens of millions of dollars are being spent.
Digital Freedom Fund also reports Ohio ad spending
Separate from Fairshake, the super PAC Digital Freedom Fund, established by Gemini co-founders Tyler Winklevoss and Cameron Winklevoss, reported about $3 million in advertising spending this week. The spending was also directed at opposing Brown and supporting Husted, bringing its total media purchases in the Ohio race to more than $5.9 million.
With less than three weeks left before the U.S. election, early voting in Ohio has already been underway for 10 days.
Other Fairshake-related election spending
This round of spending by Fairshake has already exceeded the $41 million it deployed in 2024, when the PAC backed Republican Bernie Moreno and opposed Brown, who was seeking reelection.
Brown previously served as chair of the Senate Banking Committee and has been one of the lawmakers in Congress who publicly questioned legislation and policies supported by the crypto industry.
Defend American Jobs also reported spending more than $6.7 million in Nebraska’s Senate race to oppose independent candidate Dan Osborn. His opponent, Republican Pete Ricketts, previously voted in favor of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act and legislation related to stablecoins.
Fairshake said in January that it held $193 million in cash ahead of the election.