Crypto-aligned PAC reports $11.4 million in ads opposing Sherrod Brown

Defend American Jobs PAC reported spending $11.4 million on media supporting Republican Jon Husted and opposing Democrat Sherrod Brown in Ohio’s Senate race. The PAC disclosed the spending in a filing with the Federal Election Commission. The filing was dated Sept. 24. Fairshake pledged an initial $30 million for media opposing Brown. The ad buys appeared to be part of that pledge. Defend American Jobs PAC is aligned with and largely funded by the cryptocurrency industry. The PAC is affiliated with Fairshake, which is backed by Coinbase and Ripple Labs. Brown was previously chair of the Senate Banking Committee. He was one of Congress’s more outspoken voices against pro-crypto legislation and policies. Husted’s and Brown’s campaigns did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In August 2025, Brown said cryptocurrency was part of America’s economy and was becoming more common in Ohio and across the country. Brown said his goal was to ensure that, as more people use cryptocurrency, it expands opportunity and lifts up Ohioans without putting them at risk. In the 2024 Ohio Senate race between Brown and Republican Bernie Moreno, outside groups including Fairshake spent more than $300 million. FEC records showed that the crypto-aligned PAC and its affiliates alone spent about $41 million to oppose Brown and support Moreno. Moreno won 50.2% of the vote, and Brown received 46.4%. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appointed Husted to the Senate seat after then-Senator JD Vance vacated it. Vance was elected US vice president in 2024. Vivek Ramaswamy co-founded digital asset management company Strive. Ramaswamy ran as a Republican in the 2024 presidential election and often spoke favorably about cryptocurrency and blockchain. He did not serve in the Trump administration. Ramaswamy announced plans to run for Ohio governor shortly after the president’s 2025 inauguration. He won the Republican nomination in May 2026. Ramaswamy will face Democrat Amy Acton in November. Three co-founders of the Trump family’s crypto company World Liberty Financial donated the maximum amount of $16,615 each to Ramaswamy’s campaign. Those donors were Chase Herro, Zak Folkman and Zachary Witkoff. Ramaswamy’s PAC, V-PAC: Victors, Not Victims, received donations totaling $20 million from Susquehanna International Group co-founder Jeff Yass. NYDIG founder Ross Stevens donated $6 million to the PAC. The Bitcoin Voter Project donated $5,000 to the PAC.