It is alarming that President Trump is hosting a cryptocurrency dinner where top token holders, many of whom are anonymous and potentially foreign actors, have been granted exclusive access to the presidency through a pay-to-play scheme. This blatant corruption and influence peddling must be thoroughly investigated by Congress
A significant portion of the $TRUMP token holders invited to this profiteering event possess cryptocurrency assets linked to racist, anti-Semitic, and white nationalist symbols like Pepe the Frog and swastikas. Even if some holders acquired these assets unknowingly, their presence raises concerns about the company Trump keeps and the unsavory elements he welcomes into his orbit for personal gain.
Furthermore, the Trump Organization and affiliated LLCs own 80% of the $TRUMP token supply and profit immensely from its transaction fees, netting over $324 million since its January launch. This represents a clear conflict of interest and an attempt to monetize the presidency for private enrichment, particularly egregious given over half the top holders appear to be foreign nationals.
The President's press secretary dubiously claims this event occurs during Trump's "personal time," but ethical norms and the Constitution's Foreign Emoluments Clause do not cease applying simply because the president is off the clock. And if this event *was* held during Trump's "personal time," then it is not covered by the presidential immunity, which only protects him from actions he takes performing presidential duties, and he can be prosecuted for criminal actions.
This dinner epitomizes the leveraging of public office for private financial interests - the very form of corruption the Emoluments Clause aims to prevent. Congress must use its investigative powers to uncover the full scope of this $TRUMP token scheme, the identities of attendees, and whether pay-to-play access was indeed sold to potentially malignant foreign actors.
Allowing this brazen grift and abdication of ethics to proceed unchecked would further degrade democratic norms and America's standing on the global stage. Thorough oversight is imperative to uphold the rule of law.
First sent on May 27 by Coleman
