Hating on Wall Street and the financial industry is hot this election cycle, on both sides of the political aisle. But the latest attack on John Kasich from the Chris Christie camp has to be the strangest, mostly because of who it is coming from — hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen.
The ad shows Kasich saying he “was a banker” and “was proud of that.” It highlights his having worked at Lehman Brothers, the bank that collapsed during the financial crisis. It also claims that “in Congress, John Kasich voted to give Wall Street banks a blank check.”
https://youtu.be/MEY0Mmd3fbo
Now, criticism of Kasich’s Wall Street ties may be fair, but it’s hard to take seriously considering the source. The ad was produced by America Leads, a pro-Christie Super PAC. Cohen, the founder of SAC Capital Advisers, has donated millions to the group. Another donor is Dan Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans and owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. For these guys to rail against Wall Street ties is a bit laughable.
Ultimately, the attack didn’t work, as Kasich finished second in New Hampshire and Christie finished in sixth, likely ending his campaign.