BlackRock recruiter says $10k 'can buy a senator,' calls Ukraine war 'good for business': Video

A recruiter for BlackRock said that the asset management firm is able to "buy a senator" for $10,000 and that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "good for business," according to a video recorded by an undercover journalist. 

"You could buy your candidates. First, there is the senators. These guys are f***ing cheap. Got 10 grand? You can buy a senator. I’ll give you 500k right now. It doesn’t matter who wins, they’re in my pocket," BlackRock Recruiter Serge Varlay said in a video published Tuesday by the O'Keefe Media Group, which was founded by guerilla journalist James O'Keefe.

BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm, can "run the world," he also said in the video.

BlackRock is also financially benefitting from the war in Ukraine, according to Varlay.

"Ukraine is good for business, you know that right? Russia blows up Ukraine’s grain silos and the price of wheat is going to go mad up. The Ukrainian economy is tied very largely to the wheat market. The price of bread, literally everything goes up and down. This is fantastic if you’re trading," Varlay also said. "Volatility creates opportunity to make profit. War is real f***ing good for business. It’s exciting when s*** goes wrong, right?"

BlackRock has come under fire recently for adhering to environmental, social and governance principles. The firm had its stock downgraded by top Wall Street analyst Brennan Hawken in October for its commitment to ESG.

Additionally, 17 attorneys general last month moved to block BlackRock from making blanket utility purchases over concerns about the firm's activist investments.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.