Silicon Valley Engineer Turned Political Reformer
Saikat Chakrabarti, the 39-year-old former chief of staff to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has launched an audacious congressional campaign with a radical proposal at its heart. The former Stripe engineer, now competing to represent Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district, wants to transform Donald Trump's controversial White House ballroom into what he calls the "Smithsonian Museum on Corruption and Authoritarianism."
From Tech to Politics: A New Approach to Corruption
Chakrabarti, who announced his campaign in February initially as a challenge to the 85-year-old Pelosi, brings a unique perspective to the race. His background as a founding engineer at the $100 billion payments processor Stripe informs his approach to tackling government corruption. "I used to work as a programmer and so I actually have knowledge here," he stated, emphasising his ability to hold tech CEOs accountable during congressional hearings.
The proposed museum would occupy the 90,000-square-foot structure replacing the demolished East Wing. Chakrabarti envisions exhibits highlighting what he describes as the "modern dangers posed by the current wannabe dictator" and the ongoing threat of authoritarianism. The space would also document assaults on the rule of law and what he terms "the pervasive corruption of the billionaire class."
Systemic Corruption and Democratic Renewal
Chakrabarti argues that corruption in Washington represents a systemic problem affecting both major political parties. He points to surveys showing Americans consider government corruption the biggest problem facing the US political system and a major threat to democracy. "When you have a situation where people believe their politicians are corrupt, people believe the institutions are corrupt, and there's a complete failure of faith in our institutions, I think that is what allows someone like Donald Trump to get elected," he explained.
The Trump ballroom, estimated to cost $300 million, represents just one symbol of the "rampant corruption" Chakrabarti aims to combat. Other concerning developments he highlighted include Trump's acceptance of a luxury jetliner from Qatar, the launch of the $Trump crypto memecoin just before inauguration, and the purge of more than a dozen inspectors general.
Chakrabarti's anti-corruption platform includes several concrete proposals:
- Filing a discharge petition on his first day in office to force a House vote on banning stock trading by members of Congress
- Creating a publicly financed election system to reduce big money's influence
- Self-funding his campaign while rejecting corporate and lobbyist PAC money
He faces competition in the Democratic primary from California state senator Scott Wiener, with others potentially joining now that Pelosi confirmed she won't seek re-election when her 20th term concludes in January 2027.
Chakrabarti encourages more candidates to run on anti-corruption platforms, arguing that "for Democrats to have the moral standing on this issue going in 2028, we've got to call it out everywhere." His campaign represents a significant challenge to establishment politics, aiming to channel voter discontent into substantive reform.
