Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) is going all-in for bitcoin in 2014.
The Texas tea partier, who is challenging Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in a primary this year, rang in the new year on Tuesday at a pro-bitcoin party in New York City. He also announced that his Senate campaign will accept the virtual currency as donations, and that he intends to introduce pro-bitcoin legislation.
Stockman made an appearance Tuesday night at a party thrown by a new organization called the NYC Bitcoin Center, according to the bitcoin news website newsBTC. (On Thursday, Stockman’s campaign tweeted a link to a version of the story on ronpaulforums.com.) A photograph from the party posted to Reddit, and shown above, features Stockman holding a QR code connected to a donation address, according to newsBTC.
A short video uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday shows Stockman and Nick Spanos, the founder of the NYC Bitcoin Center, walking around Wall Street in New York City.
“I really think digital currency is more about freedom,” Stockman says in the video, which according to the description will be part of a new documentary on digital currency. “Freedom to choose what you do with your money, and freedom to keep your money. Without people influencing it through printing money or regulation.”
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Business Insider reported on Wednesday that Spanos helped phone bank for Stockman’s 2012 Congressional campaign.
Stockman announced late last year that he would mount a primary challenge against Cornyn.
A spokesperson for Stockman did not immediately respond to an email from TPM.
