Protect Our Future (POF) is a Democratic political action committee (PAC) started in 2022. It is funded primarily by Sam Bankman-Fried.
In 2022 Bankman-Fried provided initial financial support for Protect Our Future PAC. Protect Our Future was launched as a Democratic political action committee with $10 million in initial funding aiming to support "lawmakers who play the long game on policymaking in areas like pandemic preparedness and planning", according to Politico.[1] Bankman-Fried had provided the majority of the $14 million raised by May 2022 for the PAC.[2] A spokesperson for the PAC said Bankman-Fried had donated $13 million, while Nishad Singh had donated $1 million.[3]
As of June 2022, Bankman-Fried contributed over $23 million to the PAC.[4]
POF spent funds in several 2022 Democratic primaries. In the 2022 Democratic primary between Shontel Brown and Nina Turner, POF spent at least $1 million in support of Brown,[5] largely on radio, TV, and digital ads.[2] This amount was significant, given that the Brown campaign itself raised $4 million.[2] POF spent at least $2 million for Georgia Representative Lucy McBath.[5]
POF spent at least $7 million in the 2022 Carrick Flynn campaign for Oregon district 6 Representative.[2] An opposing candidate alleged that POF coordinated with a Flynn campaign, an action illegal under federal law. POF denied this allegation.[6] The Flynn campaign may have coordinated with POF through a strategy called red-boxing, whereby the campaign highlights particular language on its website in a red box that POF replicated in its advertising.[7]