Democrats seek suspicious activity reports linked to Trump crypto ventures
By: the crypto news wire|2025/05/15 16:15:06
0
Share
US Democrat lawmakers have sent a letter to the US Treasury demanding access to suspicious activity reports (SARs) on several Trump-backed crypto projects as part of the latest probe into the president’s digital ventures. Penned by representatives Gerald Connolly, Joseph Morelle, and Jamie Raskin, the May 14 letter asks Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for all SARS filed since 2023 related to World Liberty Financial (WLF) and the Official Trump ( TRUMP ) token. Financial institutions in the US must file SARs with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau within the Department of the Treasury, when they detect suspicious activity, including potential money laundering or fraud. Source: Oversight Committee Democrats The sweeping probe asks for any SARs mentioning WinRed, America PAC, Elon Musk, political action committee, PAC, Trump, World Liberty Financial, WLF, TRUMP, MELANIA and Justin Sun, no later than May 30. The Democratic lawmakers say their probe is to “determine whether legislation is necessary to prevent violations of campaign finance, consumer protection, bribery, securities fraud, and other anti-corruption laws” and to guard against “financial misconduct connected to prospective or current federal officials.” Democrats argue WLF and Trump coin could be misused As part of the letter, the lawmakers argue WLF could be misused as a “vehicle for foreign influence peddling” because it served part of its token sale for foreign investors, who are “generally subject to less stringent regulation than US investors.” Justin Sun’s investment in WLF and the subsequent pause of the SEC’s lawsuit that alleged the crypto entrepreneur broke securities laws has also been flagged as a concern. Trump’s token has come under fire as well because the lawmakers argue in their letter that the identities of the coin purchasers are not publicly disclosed, which could open the door for bad actors to “curry favor with Trump” by purchasing the coin. At the same time, SARS related to Republican digital fundraising WinRed, Elon Musk’s super PAC, which poured $250 million into Trump’s election campaign, and two other PACs are being sought. Related: Trump-owned Truth Social denies it is launching a memecoin This effort is the latest Democrat-led salvo against Trump’s crypto ventures. A group of Democratic senators reportedly sent a letter to leadership at the US Department of Justice and the Treasury Department expressing concerns about Trump’s ties to crypto exchange Binance and potential conflicts of interest in regulating the industry, according to a May 9 Bloomberg report. US Democratic lawmakers also launched a multi-angle attack on May 6, targeting Trump’s ability to profit from his crypto initiatives with two bills and a subcommittee inquiry. Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions
You may also like

AI Seating Chart Released | Rewire News Morning Brief
Musk and Ultraman are not above

Is the era of Embodied AI's "GPT Moment" Approaching? Axis Robotics Announces End of Testing, Set to Launch on Base Chain
Axis's answer is yes - provided that a thorough reshaping of the scale-up production of robotic data is required, and a redefinition of the deployment paradigm in the physical world.

Meta Layoff Explained: On the same day as laying off 700 people, they handed out $90 billion in retention bonuses to executives
The money saved from laying off 700 people is approximately equivalent to Meta's 1.5 days of AI infrastructure spending

Binance Cracks Down on Market Makers, a Long-overdue Trial
True accountability requires regulatory involvement, enforcement agencies, rather than allowing the exchange to act as its own judge.

Wall Street Collective Bearish on 2026, Will the Oil Crisis Trigger a Recession?
「There is no middle ground; the result will definitely be one of two extremes.」

Hollywood's AI Necromancy: Death Is No Longer the End of Labor
Post-Mortem Economics

a16z: DeFi Struggling to Support a True Financial Market
More important than throughput is the determinism and fairness of transaction execution.

Morning News | Bitmine launches institutional Ethereum staking platform MAVAN; Franklin Templeton launches tokenized ETF; Morgan Stanley to issue and sponsor Bitcoin ETF
Overview of Important Market Events on March 25

Kalshi early employees: Whoever controls the traffic controls the market
Robinhood can decide where tens of millions of contracts go with the flip of a switch, while the exchanges do all the hard work but cannot control their own fate.

Tether signs contracts with four major audits, Circle's compliance moat collapses, stock price plummets by 20%
USDT, with a market value of 184 billion dollars, is undergoing its first comprehensive inspection in history.

Proudly Introducing Aethir Claw: Your AI Agent, Our Infrastructure
Explore Aethir Claw, an easy-to-deploy AI agent solution that offers fully isolated VPS, encrypted payments, and highly competitive pricing.

Why Buying Gold Can Lead to Bankruptcy
"There is no issue with 'buying gold,' the issue is 'buying whose gold.'"

If the US Treasury yield rises above 5%, will Bitcoin drop below $50,000?
During the US-Iran war, as the bond market exhibited a **"meltdown"** scenario, Bitcoin's upward momentum is showing signs of exhaustion.

Circle Plunges 20%: Crypto Earthquake Triggered by Draft Proposal
Compliance gave Circle both a suit of armor and a ball and chain.

After the Smoke Clears: 5 Possible Endings to the Middle East Conflict
The Crown Prince in Exile for Half a Century, Set to Return to Tehran?

Stablecoin Yields Discontinued, Circle Plunges 20% in One Day
Tightening Regulations and Increased Competition Lead Market to Reassess Stablecoin Business Models

AI Wired into War Machine | Rewire News Nightly
Anduril and Palantir are collaborating on the development of the core software for the Golden Dome anti-missile system, with a project budget of $18.5 billion.

Web3 is sick, but the cure is not AI
Encryption may have wasted too many years, and the current AI anxiety is merely a stress response of an industry that has overdrawn its narrative after facing external shocks.
AI Seating Chart Released | Rewire News Morning Brief
Musk and Ultraman are not above
Is the era of Embodied AI's "GPT Moment" Approaching? Axis Robotics Announces End of Testing, Set to Launch on Base Chain
Axis's answer is yes - provided that a thorough reshaping of the scale-up production of robotic data is required, and a redefinition of the deployment paradigm in the physical world.
Meta Layoff Explained: On the same day as laying off 700 people, they handed out $90 billion in retention bonuses to executives
The money saved from laying off 700 people is approximately equivalent to Meta's 1.5 days of AI infrastructure spending
Binance Cracks Down on Market Makers, a Long-overdue Trial
True accountability requires regulatory involvement, enforcement agencies, rather than allowing the exchange to act as its own judge.
Wall Street Collective Bearish on 2026, Will the Oil Crisis Trigger a Recession?
「There is no middle ground; the result will definitely be one of two extremes.」
Hollywood's AI Necromancy: Death Is No Longer the End of Labor
Post-Mortem Economics
