Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren faced off against lawyer John Deaton in their second and final debate to discuss policies before the November election. The Senator attacked Deaton for his ties to the cryptocurrency industry in an apparent effort to appeal to voters.

In a debate streamed by New England Public Media and GBH News on Oct. 17, Senator Warren reiterated her earlier claims that cryptocurrency transactions were tied to “drug cartels” and “terrorists,” calling for rules of the road for the industry. The two candidates made different allegations over corruption, with Senator Warren calling out Deaton over his loyalty to crypto backers.

“80% of Mr. Deaton’s wealth is tied up in crypto, 90% of his funding from this campaign is coming from crypto, and 100% of his loyalty in Washington will be to crypto: that is corruption,” said Senator Warren.

Sen. Warren calls out Deaton’s ‘pro bono work for crypto’ in 2nd debate image 0

John Deaton debating Senator Elizabeth Warren on Oct. 17. Source: GBH News

Deaton called out Senator Warren on her ties to Gary Gensler, claiming she had provided the answers to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission chair during a hearing of the Senate Banking Committee. When Deaton highlighted some of his work as a lawyer advocating for XRP ( XRP ) holders, the Massachusetts Senator replied: 

“He did pro bono work for crypto? Are you kidding me that that counts as a charitable contribution?”

A referendum on crypto policy?

The debate for Massachusetts voters was the second and likely the final before residents begin heading to the ballot boxes for early voting, starting on Oct. 19. In their first debate, Deaton claimed Senator Warren prioritized building an “anti-crypto army” over issues like immigration and inflation.

Related: Super PAC focuses on unseating Sen. Warren, spends $850K on John Deaton

As of October, many polls showed Senator Warren with a roughly 20-point lead over Deaton going into the election. During her time in office, the Massachusetts Senator has been one of the most outspoken crypto critics in Congress, often associating digital assets with illicit activities like the financing of terrorism and drug trafficking. 

Deaton has the support of many crypto industry players, including those who have contributed to his run through the Commonwealth Unity Fund political action committee. Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss each donated $6,600 directly to the Republican candidate.

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