Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) took aim at venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz on Wednesday, accusing the firm of trying to "buy politicians" who oppose regulating artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. The criticism came after a New York Times report revealed the firm spent more than $115 million on midterm election efforts.
Sanders posted on X that the spending spree is a sign of a "broken" campaign finance system. "End Citizens United, ban Super PACs & get Big Money out of politics—NOW," the independent lawmaker wrote.
Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley firm with over $100 billion in assets, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
This isn't Sanders's first run-in with money in politics. Last month, he slammed the Trump family's cryptocurrency deals as an "unprecedented kleptocracy."
The $115 million reportedly broke down into three buckets: $50 million for AI, $47.5 million for cryptocurrency, and $17.7 million supporting Republican leadership. Since November 2024, the firm funneled $47.5 million into Fairshake, a crypto-focused super PAC.
Fairshake became one of the most influential PACs in 2024, spending over $195 million to back pro-crypto candidates. It poured more than $10 million into defeating former Rep. Katie Porter's Senate bid in California, according to Open Secrets.
Andreessen Horowitz and its co-founders also donated $12 million to MAGA Inc., President Donald Trump's super PAC, including $6 million in March.
Sanders's latest broadside underscores the growing tension between Silicon Valley's deep pockets and the push for tighter regulation of emerging technologies.
