{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "generatedAt": "2026-05-07T03:24:30.183Z",
  "findingType": "finding",
  "findingId": 15,
  "contentHash": "fc16041f2a3ff6710d25ceadd00c85c80b6db691a50a2e1f5f36bdc002a575e7",
  "title": "Congressman Voted for Crypto Deregulation While Holding Millions in Campaign-Funded Crypto Investments",
  "summary": "Rep. Shri Thanedar (MI-13) invested $3.7 million of his congressional campaign committee's funds into cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds beginning January 2024, generating $1.3 million in profit within three months. He subsequently voted YEA on the CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633) on July 17, 2025 — a crypto deregulation bill — while his campaign continued to hold millions in crypto assets. He received the Stand With Crypto Alliance endorsement and completed their candidate questionnaire demonstrating 'support for crypto and digital assets.' Separately, Thanedar executed one of the most dramatic donor-realignment cycles in modern House history: after co-sponsoring a 2021 state resolution calling Israel an 'apartheid state' (which drew $4.1 million in AIPAC-linked spending against him in 2022), he took an AIPAC-funded trip to Israel in August 2023, voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib in November 2023, and by 2024 had AIPAC-linked groups spending $2.3 million supporting him and bundling $147,343 in contributions for his campaign. In Q1 2026, he initially omitted his crypto holdings from his FEC filing entirely, only amending after being questioned by the Detroit News.",
  "methodology": "This finding was identified through systematic investigation of 7 entities. Evidence was classified as \"significant\" severity based on source verification tier (investigative_journalism, news_reporting, news_reporting, news_reporting, investigative_journalism, news_reporting, organization_record). The finding was reviewed under editorial status \"published\".",
  "sources": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/04/22/michigan-congressman-shri-thanedar-reaps-campaign-windfall-on-cryptocurrency-investment/73412899007/",
      "label": "Detroit News: Michigan congressman reaps campaign windfall on cryptocurrency investment",
      "type": "primary"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/16/shri-thanedar-cryptocurrency-investment-congress-campaign-cash-adam-hollier-donovan-mckinney-detroit/85246696007/",
      "label": "Detroit News: Thanedar campaign's crypto investment rebounds",
      "type": "primary"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/25/thanedar-left-crypto-holdings-out-of-latest-campaign-finance-report/89776835007/",
      "label": "Detroit News: Thanedar left crypto holdings out of latest campaign finance report",
      "type": "primary"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/27/congressman-shri-thanedar-cryptocurrecy-holdings-took-hit-first-quarter-2026/89818843007/",
      "label": "Detroit News: Thanedar's crypto holdings took hit but still millions in reserve",
      "type": "primary"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/pro-israel-aipac-offshoot-spent-23m-help-shri-thanedar-michigan-primary/",
      "label": "Bridge Michigan: Pro-Israel AIPAC offshoot spent $2.3M to help Thanedar",
      "type": "primary"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://theintercept.com/2025/04/28/aipac-primary-democrat-shri-thanedar-donavan-mckinney-michigan/",
      "label": "The Intercept: Progressives Primary AIPAC-Backed Democrat Shri Thanedar",
      "type": "primary"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.standwithcrypto.org/politicians/person/shri---thanedar",
      "label": "Stand With Crypto: Shri Thanedar Policy Stance",
      "type": "primary"
    }
  ],
  "queries": [
    {
      "description": "Finding record lookup",
      "table": "findings",
      "parameters": {
        "id": 15
      }
    },
    {
      "description": "Involved entity resolution",
      "table": "entities",
      "parameters": {
        "names": [
          "Shri Thanedar",
          "Grayscale Bitcoin ETF (GBTC)",
          "iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)",
          "Fairshake PAC",
          "Stand With Crypto Alliance",
          "AIPAC / United Democracy Project",
          "Blue Wave Action PAC"
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "dataSnapshot": {
    "id": "15",
    "title": "Congressman Voted for Crypto Deregulation While Holding Millions in Campaign-Funded Crypto Investments",
    "findingType": "conflict_of_interest",
    "description": "Rep. Shri Thanedar (MI-13) invested $3.7 million of his congressional campaign committee's funds into cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds beginning January 2024, generating $1.3 million in profit within three months. He subsequently voted YEA on the CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633) on July 17, 2025 — a crypto deregulation bill — while his campaign continued to hold millions in crypto assets. He received the Stand With Crypto Alliance endorsement and completed their candidate questionnaire demonstrating 'support for crypto and digital assets.' Separately, Thanedar executed one of the most dramatic donor-realignment cycles in modern House history: after co-sponsoring a 2021 state resolution calling Israel an 'apartheid state' (which drew $4.1 million in AIPAC-linked spending against him in 2022), he took an AIPAC-funded trip to Israel in August 2023, voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib in November 2023, and by 2024 had AIPAC-linked groups spending $2.3 million supporting him and bundling $147,343 in contributions for his campaign. In Q1 2026, he initially omitted his crypto holdings from his FEC filing entirely, only amending after being questioned by the Detroit News.",
    "severity": "significant",
    "evidenceSummary": "FEC filings for Shri for Congress (C00798132) document: $3.7M invested in GBTC January-March 2024; $1.3M profit reported Q1 2024; $1.76M profit Q2 2025; $776K loss Q1 2025; $1.87M loss Q4 2025; $1.3M loss Q1 2026; crypto holdings omitted from April 2026 filing, amended after Detroit News inquiry. Roll call records confirm YEA vote on H.R. 3633 (CLARITY Act), July 17, 2025. Bridge Michigan confirmed AIPAC-linked spending: United Democracy Project spent $1.4M attacking Thanedar and $2.7M supporting Adam Hollier in 2022; Blue Wave Action (funded by UDP and Voters For Responsive Government) spent $2.3M supporting Thanedar in 2024. AIPAC bundled $147,343 for Thanedar's 2024 campaign. Congressional travel disclosure confirms August 2023 Israel trip funded by American Israel Education Foundation. Roll Call 573 (November 7, 2023) confirms Tlaib censure vote.",
    "publicInterest": "A sitting congressman voted to deregulate the specific asset class in which his own campaign committee held millions of dollars. This is the most direct form of financial conflict available under current congressional rules — the member's own political committee, not a spouse's portfolio or a family office, held the asset affected by his vote. The AIPAC spending reversal ($4.1M against in 2022 → $2.3M for in 2024) documents a $6.4 million swing in outside spending correlated with a complete reversal of the member's public position on Israel, with the AIPAC-funded trip serving as the identifiable pivot point. He represents MI-13, one of the nation's poorest districts.",
    "sourceTypes": [
      "investigative_journalism",
      "news_reporting",
      "news_reporting",
      "news_reporting",
      "investigative_journalism",
      "news_reporting",
      "organization_record"
    ],
    "sourceUrls": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/04/22/michigan-congressman-shri-thanedar-reaps-campaign-windfall-on-cryptocurrency-investment/73412899007/",
        "label": "Detroit News: Michigan congressman reaps campaign windfall on cryptocurrency investment"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/16/shri-thanedar-cryptocurrency-investment-congress-campaign-cash-adam-hollier-donovan-mckinney-detroit/85246696007/",
        "label": "Detroit News: Thanedar campaign's crypto investment rebounds"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/25/thanedar-left-crypto-holdings-out-of-latest-campaign-finance-report/89776835007/",
        "label": "Detroit News: Thanedar left crypto holdings out of latest campaign finance report"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/27/congressman-shri-thanedar-cryptocurrecy-holdings-took-hit-first-quarter-2026/89818843007/",
        "label": "Detroit News: Thanedar's crypto holdings took hit but still millions in reserve"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/pro-israel-aipac-offshoot-spent-23m-help-shri-thanedar-michigan-primary/",
        "label": "Bridge Michigan: Pro-Israel AIPAC offshoot spent $2.3M to help Thanedar"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://theintercept.com/2025/04/28/aipac-primary-democrat-shri-thanedar-donavan-mckinney-michigan/",
        "label": "The Intercept: Progressives Primary AIPAC-Backed Democrat Shri Thanedar"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.standwithcrypto.org/politicians/person/shri---thanedar",
        "label": "Stand With Crypto: Shri Thanedar Policy Stance"
      }
    ],
    "reviewStatus": "published",
    "goblin": {
      "name": "Goat",
      "slug": "goat"
    },
    "createdAt": null
  },
  "entities": [
    {
      "id": "10910",
      "name": "Shri Thanedar",
      "slug": "congress-t000488",
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": "32302",
      "name": "Grayscale Bitcoin ETF (GBTC)",
      "slug": "gbtc",
      "type": "financial_instrument"
    },
    {
      "id": "32303",
      "name": "iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)",
      "slug": "ibit",
      "type": "financial_instrument"
    },
    {
      "id": "32304",
      "name": "Fairshake PAC",
      "slug": "fairshake",
      "type": "organization"
    },
    {
      "id": "32305",
      "name": "Stand With Crypto Alliance",
      "slug": "stand-with-crypto",
      "type": "organization"
    },
    {
      "id": "32306",
      "name": "AIPAC / United Democracy Project",
      "slug": "aipac-udp",
      "type": "organization"
    },
    {
      "id": "32307",
      "name": "Blue Wave Action PAC",
      "slug": "blue-wave-action",
      "type": "organization"
    }
  ],
  "verificationSteps": [
    "Retrieve finding #15 from the findings table and confirm title, description, and severity match this bundle.",
    "Visit source: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/04/22/michigan-congressman-shri-thanedar-reaps-campaign-windfall-on-cryptocurrency-investment/73412899007/ — confirm the claim described in the evidence summary.",
    "Visit source: https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/16/shri-thanedar-cryptocurrency-investment-congress-campaign-cash-adam-hollier-donovan-mckinney-detroit/85246696007/ — confirm the claim described in the evidence summary.",
    "Visit source: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/25/thanedar-left-crypto-holdings-out-of-latest-campaign-finance-report/89776835007/ — confirm the claim described in the evidence summary.",
    "Visit source: https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/27/congressman-shri-thanedar-cryptocurrecy-holdings-took-hit-first-quarter-2026/89818843007/ — confirm the claim described in the evidence summary.",
    "Visit source: https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/pro-israel-aipac-offshoot-spent-23m-help-shri-thanedar-michigan-primary/ — confirm the claim described in the evidence summary.",
    "Visit source: https://theintercept.com/2025/04/28/aipac-primary-democrat-shri-thanedar-donavan-mckinney-michigan/ — confirm the claim described in the evidence summary.",
    "Visit source: https://www.standwithcrypto.org/politicians/person/shri---thanedar — confirm the claim described in the evidence summary.",
    "Cross-reference involved entities (Shri Thanedar, Grayscale Bitcoin ETF (GBTC), iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), Fairshake PAC, Stand With Crypto Alliance, AIPAC / United Democracy Project, Blue Wave Action PAC) in the entities table.",
    "Verify the SHA-256 content hash by re-generating the JSON bundle and hashing it."
  ]
}