Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06)

Washington, D.C.— Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06) today released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a major budget reconciliation package that delivers meaningful wins for working families, small businesses, and taxpayers in Virginia’s Sixth District.

“Today’s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill is a big win for the American people and for families across Virginia’s Sixth District,” said Rep. Cline. “While the bill isn’t perfect, it delivers on the core promises House Republicans made—to secure our border, unleash American energy, rein in Washington’s reckless spending, and stop the largest tax hike in our Nation’s history.”

The bill includes sweeping reforms designed to provide relief and stability for hardworking Americans. Among its key provisions, the legislation eliminates taxes on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, delivers additional tax relief for seniors, makes no changes to Social Security or Medicare, strengthens Medicaid by cracking down on fraud and protecting access for those who need it most, and ensures robust funding for our national defense.

Congressman Cline also secured the inclusion of one of his top legislative priorities, the Hearing Protection Act, which he sponsored to remove suppressors from the outdated National Firearms Act of 1934.

“I’m proud that this legislation includes portions of the Hearing Protection Act,” Cline added. “This is a long-overdue win for law-abiding gun owners and a key step in defending our Second Amendment rights.”

Cline warned that failure to pass this bill would have severe consequences for families and small businesses in the Sixth District as the Trump tax cuts are set to expire. Without this legislation:

• The average taxpayer would face a 26% tax hike
• 78,150 families would see their Child Tax Credit cut in half
• 92% of taxpayers would have their Guaranteed Deduction slashed in half
• 51,860 small businesses would face a 43.4% tax rate if the 199A Small Business Deduction is allowed to expire
• 8,032 taxpayers would be hit by the return of the Alternative Minimum Tax
• 7,445 family-owned farms would lose half of their Death Tax exemption next year

The legislation now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

“I hope my colleagues in the Senate will move quickly so we can send this important bill to President Trump’s desk and continue delivering real results for the American people,” Cline said.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) issued the following statement following House passage of H.R. 1, Republicans’ sweeping tax reconciliation bill, which includes the largest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in American history.

“Under the cover of night, House Republicans jammed their egregious tax scam through Congress. Instead of providing leadership when it mattered most, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans shamefully bowed down to Donald Trump, shirking their responsibility to the people they were elected to represent and selling out hard-working Americans to benefit billionaires.

“The Republican budget will make America hungrier, poorer, and sicker. For more than 29 hours, House Democrats stood united to expose this bill for what it is: a tax scam that redistributes wealth to the ultra-rich while imposing the largest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in American history. It kicks an estimated 14 million Americans off their health care and slashes critical food assistance programs relied on by more than 42 million people, literally taking health care from the sick and food away from the hungry. All while adding trillions to the national debt to line the pockets of the wealthiest Americans, leaving future generations to bear the financial burden of their greed and irresponsibility.

“In their relentless attacks on basic health care, Republicans are also pushing to defund Planned Parenthood, which would close nearly 200 health centers, cut off care for more than a million people, and restrict access to life-saving services including reproductive and sexual health care, birth control, maternity care, cancer screenings, behavioral health, and abortion care.

“From day one, Republicans refused to meaningfully engage with Democrats or the American people. They shut us out of the process, schemed its passage behind closed doors, and held votes and committee meetings in the dead of night to hide the harm this bill would inflict on millions of Americans. Now, their tax scheme is one step closer to upending the lives of working families, piling new burdens onto Americans already struggling in an unstable economy made worse by Trump’s reckless tax and trade policies. Republicans have shown no interest in lowering costs or making the American Dream more attainable. Their only interest lies in a blind loyalty to Trump and a callous indifference to the people they were elected to serve.

“But let me be clear: this is not the end. Every single House Democrat voted no on this cruel and despicable bill, and we will continue to fight it every step of the way. We are united in our opposition, and as this bill moves through the legislative process, we will use every tool at our disposal to stop it in its tracks. The American people deserve better, and we are not backing down.”

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Issues: 119th Congress, Budget

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Representative Mikie Sherrill voted against the Republican budget and reconciliation package, which includes extreme cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and education funding, raising costs for New Jerseyans while providing tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. Additionally, the package fails to repeal the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap, an unfair double-tax on New Jersey families. 

“Once again, Donald Trump and House Republicans are pushing a budget that prioritizes tax cuts for billionaires over the needs of working families. This package slashes $736 billion from Medicaid and will take away health coverage for at least 13.7 million Americans, including hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans. It eliminates food assistance for vulnerable communities, strips funding from students, and pulls back funding for programs that help lower energy costs, all while adding $3.3 trillion to the national deficit through massive tax cuts for Trump’s donors like Elon Musk.

“Moreover, this budget fails to deliver on Trump’s campaign promise to restore the SALT deduction. This bill will continue to penalize working families by making it more difficult for states like New Jersey to invest in our education, infrastructure, and communities. I have been fighting since day one to repeal this unfair double tax, and will keep working to ensure New Jerseyans are not shouldering the burden of Trump’s corruption and giveaways to the wealthiest Americans. 

“I cannot support this reckless, cruel plan that makes it harder for families to make ends meet. I’m appalled by those who refuse to stand up for working people and choose instead to rubber stamp an extreme political agenda. I will never stop fighting for affordable healthcare, a fair tax system, and a government that delivers for New Jersey families.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative John R Carter (R-TX-31)

Carter Statement on Passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

Severe storms resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure, parks, cultural sites, schools, public buildings, and more, resulting in over $34 million dollars in damages across six counties

 

Letter comes following denial of initial request, WA delegation urges President Trump to reconsider and approve WA state’s pending appeal

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Congressmen Adam Smith (D, WA-09) joined Washington’s entire Congressional delegation– U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse, (R, WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10)—in sending a letter last night to President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of the devastating windstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and mudslides caused by a bomb cyclone that struck Washington state in November 2024.

“As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay,” the bipartisan, bicameral group of Members wrote.

“From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone,” the Members wrote.

“Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.”

“We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need,” the Members concluded.

Previously, the full group of Members urged President Biden to grant the request for a Major Disaster Declaration in January.

The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to express our serious disappointment and growing concern regarding the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the devastating bomb cyclone that struck between November 17 and November 25, 2024. As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay.

From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone.

Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need.

Sincerely,

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, two Israeli Embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were brutally shot and killed as they were exiting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. I strongly condemn this reprehensible act of violence. My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victims, Israeli embassy staff, event attendees, and those impacted by this horrific attack.  
 
As the murders continue to be investigated, we must be clear that there is no place for hatred and bigotry. We must stand in solidarity with our Jewish friends and deepen our efforts to combat rising antisemitism. I condemn the hateful, dehumanizing rhetoric against Jewish and Israeli people, which has led to senseless, unimaginable attacks. No one should be targeted or live in fear of violence because of their beliefs. 
 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressmen Adam Smith (WA-09) and Sean Casten (IL-06) led 35 House Democrats in a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Public Integrity Section demanding DOJ immediately launch an investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s offer for top investors in his cryptocurrency token, $TRUMP, to join him at a private dinner violates federal bribery laws or the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution.
 
“We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025,” the lawmakers wrote. “This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.”
 
Days before the start of his second term, President Trump launched the $TRUMP memecoin. Its price quickly peaked at $75, before crashing and causing $2 billion in investor losses. In April, President Trump announced plans to invite $TRUMP’s top 220 investors to a private dinner, resulting in a 60% surge in price as investors rushed to accumulate enough value to qualify for a seat at the dinner. 
 
The Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since $TRUMP was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement. Multiple investors have explicitly stated that they hoped to purchase influence with the president. 
 
“U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns,” the lawmakers continued. “However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.”
 
In addition, a Bloomberg investigation found that the majority of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. The top spot is held by Justin Sun, a Chinese crypto entrepreneur who faced an SEC lawsuit alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his blockchain platform. This Trump Administration notably paused the legal action after Sun invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures, the World Liberty Project. 
 
The Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8) prohibits any federal government official, including the President, from accepting any benefit from a foreign government without the consent of Congress. It is critical that the DOJ conducts a nonpartisan investigation of President Trump’s private dinner.
 
A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.
 
Dear Acting Chief Sullivan:
 
We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025. This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.
 
On April 23, 2025, a website connected to the Trump family, gettrumpmemes.com, announced that the top 220 investors in the $TRUMP memecoin would be invited to a gala dinner with President Trump on May 22, 2025, located at his golf course outside of Washington D.C. The top 25 buyers would get face time with the President at “an ultra-exclusive private VIP” reception before the dinner, as well as a “special” V.I.P. tour of the White House. And the top four investors would receive a limited-edition Trump-branded watch.
 
President Trump promoted the event on social media as the “most EXCLUSIVE INVITATION in the world,” causing the price of the memecoin to surge more than 60 percent as investors rushed to accumulate enough coins to qualify for a dinner seat. Overall, the Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since the memecoin was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
 
Investors spent more than $145 million on $TRUMP tokens over the duration of this contest, with some stating explicitly that they hoped to purchase influence with President Trump. For example, GD Culture Group, a small technology company that facilitates e-commerce for other businesses and brands on TikTok, recently announced plans to purchase $300 million worth of $TRUMP coins. And in the company’s own words, its Chinese subsidiary may be subject to “[intervention] or influence” by the Chinese government. GD Culture Group’s announcement came just days after President Trump indicated that he’d “be willing” to delay the statutorily required ban on TikTok in the U.S. past its June 19, 2025, deadline. Freight Technologies, a Houston-based company that specializes in U.S.-Mexico-Canada cross-border shipping, was even more direct about why it planned to purchase $20 million worth of President Trump’s memecoin: to help the company “advocate for fair, balanced, and free trade between Mexico and U.S.,” the company’s CEO said in a statement. After the contest closed, at least 34 of the top 220 investors sold most of their memecoin holdings, further confirming that the $TRUMP memecoin is not a worthwhile investment, but rather a vehicle to buy influence with the Trump Administration.
 
The $TRUMP memecoin website displays a leaderboard of the winners whose identities remain largely unknown due to the anonymity of digital wallets. However, a Bloomberg analysis found that 19 of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. Notably, an account named “Sun” held the top spot and owned more than $18 million worth of the memecoin on May 12, 2025, when the contest ended. Investigations into this account have traced it back to Justin Sun, a Chinese billionaire who has privately touted his ties to the Chinese government and founded a blockchain network often used to finance illicit activities. Since March 2023, Sun has been facing a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his platform. This legal action was notably paused by the Trump administration after he invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures. In what appears to be a quid pro quo move, Sun then invested an additional $45 million into President Trump’s World Liberty Project, while simultaneously increasing his holdings of the $TRUMP memecoin.
 
Former Republican lawmakers, President Trump’s former aides, and cryptocurrency industry leaders recognize these national security risks and the opportunity for corruption. Charles Dent, the former chairman of the House Ethics Committee, recently stated that “ foreign entities and governments obviously want to curry favor with the president. This is completely out of bounds and raises all sorts of ethical, legal and constitutional issues that must be addressed.” Additionally, Anthony Scaramucci, a former official in the Trump administration, characterized President Trump’s memecoin as representing “Idi Amin level corruption.” Furthermore, Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, emphasized that politician-backed coins “are vehicles for unlimited political bribery, including from foreign nation states.”
 
U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns. However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.
 
The Public Integrity Section was established in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and exists to ensure that the Department of Justice conducts fair and thorough investigations into corruption by government officials at all levels, without regard to those officials’ political views or allegiances.
 
We therefore urge you to launch an immediate inquiry to determine whether this dinner event violates the federal bribery statute or the foreign emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution. If the Department of Justice concludes that it does, we ask that you set aside political considerations and pursue action to uphold public integrity and the rule of law.
 
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
 
Sincerely,
 
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

WASHINGTON, DC –  Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) released the following statement after voting against Donald Trump’s dangerous reconciliation bill that slashes health care and food assistance in order to pay for massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy:

“While American families slept last night and early this morning, House Republicans rushed through and passed a devastating bill that kicks more than 10 million Americans off their health coverage, strips food assistance from millions, and drives up premiums, deductibles, and copays for working families.

In New York alone, 1.4 million people would lose coverage, including 730,000 who would be pushed off the Essential Plan. Hospitals would face more than $1.3 billion in new uncompensated care, and Medicaid would be gutted by punitive work requirements that disproportionately impact seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income caregivers. All of this to finance massive tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations.

To be clear, Republicans didn’t have to cruelly attacking working families to extended middle-class tax relief.  Simply making the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share would have paid for extending middle-class tax cuts without harming millions of Americans and drastically increasing the deficit by trillions.

I am proud that every House Democrat stood united in opposing this disastrous bill. The fight is far from over, and I will continue using every tool at my disposal to stop this cruel legislation from becoming law.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

May 22, 2025

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressmen Sean Casten (IL-06) and Adam Smith (WA-09) led 35 House Democrats in a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Public Integrity Section demanding DOJ immediately launch an investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s offer for top investors in his cryptocurrency token, $TRUMP, to join him at a private dinner violates federal bribery laws or the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution.

“We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025,” the lawmakers wrote. “This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.”

Days before the start of his second term, President Trump launched the $TRUMP memecoin. Its price quickly peaked at $75, before crashing and causing $2 billion in investor losses. In April, President Trump announced plans to invite $TRUMP’s top 220 investors to a private dinner, resulting in a 60% surge in price as investors rushed to accumulate enough value to qualify for a seat at the dinner. 

The Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since $TRUMP was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement. Multiple investors have explicitly stated that they hoped to purchase influence with the president. 

In addition, a Bloomberg investigation found that the majority of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. The top spot is held by Justin Sun, a Chinese crypto entrepreneur who faced an SEC lawsuit alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his blockchain platform. The Trump Administration notably paused the legal action after Sun invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures, the World Liberty Project. 

“U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns,” the lawmakers continued. “However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.”

The Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8) prohibits any federal government official, including the President, from accepting any benefit from a foreign government without the consent of Congress. It is critical that the DOJ conducts a nonpartisan investigation of President Trump’s private dinner.

In addition to Reps. Casten and Smith, the letter was signed by Reps. Nanette Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Greg Casar, Yvette Clarke, Emanuel Cleaver, Cleo Fields, Bill Foster, Maxwell Frost, John Garamendi, Robert Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Dan Goldman, Al Green, Jim Himes, Glenn Ivey, Marcy Kaptur, Sam Liccardo, Zoe Lofgren, Stephen Lynch, April McClain Delaney, Betty McCollum, Gregory Meeks, Dave Min, Brittany Pettersen, Brad Sherman, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Ritchie Torres, Juan Vargas, Nydia Velázquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Nikema Williams.

A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.

Dear Acting Chief Sullivan:

We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025. This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.

On April 23, 2025, a website connected to the Trump family, gettrumpmemes.com, announced that the top 220 investors in the $TRUMP memecoin would be invited to a gala dinner with President Trump on May 22, 2025, located at his golf course outside of Washington D.C. The top 25 buyers would get face time with the President at “an ultra-exclusive private VIP” reception before the dinner, as well as a “special” V.I.P. tour of the White House. And the top four investors would receive a limited-edition Trump-branded watch.

President Trump promoted the event on social media as the “most EXCLUSIVE INVITATION in the world,” causing the price of the memecoin to surge more than 60 percent as investors rushed to accumulate enough coins to qualify for a dinner seat. Overall, the Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since the memecoin was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

Investors spent more than $145 million on $TRUMP tokens over the duration of this contest, with some stating explicitly that they hoped to purchase influence with President Trump. For example, GD Culture Group, a small technology company that facilitates e-commerce for other businesses and brands on TikTok, recently announced plans to purchase $300 million worth of $TRUMP coins. And in the company’s own words, its Chinese subsidiary may be subject to “[intervention] or influence” by the Chinese government. GD Culture Group’s announcement came just days after President Trump indicated that he’d “be willing” to delay the statutorily required ban on TikTok in the U.S. past its June 19, 2025, deadline. Freight Technologies, a Houston-based company that specializes in U.S.-Mexico-Canada cross-border shipping, was even more direct about why it planned to purchase $20 million worth of President Trump’s memecoin: to help the company “advocate for fair, balanced, and free trade between Mexico and U.S.,” the company’s CEO said in a statement. After the contest closed, at least 34 of the top 220 investors sold most of their memecoin holdings, further confirming that the $TRUMP memecoin is not a worthwhile investment, but rather a vehicle to buy influence with the Trump Administration.

The $TRUMP memecoin website displays a leaderboard of the winners whose identities remain largely unknown due to the anonymity of digital wallets. However, a Bloomberg analysis found that 19 of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. Notably, Justin Sun, a Chinese billionaire who has privately touted his ties to the Chinese government and founded a blockchain network often used to finance illicit activities, confirmed that he held the top spot. He owned more than $18 million worth of the memecoin on May 12, 2025, when the contest ended. Since March 2023, Sun has been facing a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his platform. This legal action was notably paused by the Trump administration after he invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures. In what appears to be a quid pro quo move, Sun then invested an additional $45 million into President Trump’s World Liberty Project, while simultaneously increasing his holdings of the $TRUMP memecoin.

Former Republican lawmakers, President Trump’s former aides, and cryptocurrency industry leaders recognize these national security risks and the opportunity for corruption. Charles Dent, the former chairman of the House Ethics Committee, recently stated that “ foreign entities and governments obviously want to curry favor with the president. This is completely out of bounds and raises all sorts of ethical, legal and constitutional issues that must be addressed.” Additionally, Anthony Scaramucci, a former official in the Trump administration, characterized President Trump’s memecoin as representing “Idi Amin level corruption.” Furthermore, Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, emphasized that politician-backed coins “are vehicles for unlimited political bribery, including from foreign nation states.”

U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns. However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.

The Public Integrity Section was established in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and exists to ensure that the Department of Justice conducts fair and thorough investigations into corruption by government officials at all levels, without regard to those officials’ political views or allegiances.

We therefore urge you to launch an immediate inquiry to determine whether this dinner event violates the federal bribery statute or the foreign emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution. If the Department of Justice concludes that it does, we ask that you set aside political considerations and pursue action to uphold public integrity and the rule of law.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

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