WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and seven of Senate colleagues demanded Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Special Envoy, explain his failure to divest from Trump family venture World Liberty Financial (WLF) despite prior commitments.
According to Witkoff’s latest financial disclosure, he continues to retain WLF cryptocurrency assets ten months into serving in the Trump administration, raising ethics concerns about Witkoff’s clear conflicts of interest.
“These assets include an ownership stake in World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency company you co-founded alongside your sons and members of the Trump family. As long as you maintain ownership of these assets, you stand to profit from any decisions you are involved with while serving in the Administration. Moreover, the public has ample reason to be concerned that your decision making may also be influenced by your close personal and business ties to the Trump Organization,” wrote the Senators.
The Senators point to troubling instances where Witkoff’s official decisions as a Trump administration employee stood to directly advance his financial interests. For instance, while serving as Special Envoy, Witkoff was actively engaged with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a senior member of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) government. During this period, World Liberty Financial secured a $2 billion investment from one of Sheikh Tahnoon’s investment firms, just weeks before the White House granted the U.A.E. access to thousands of advanced artificial intelligence chips. The White House did not dispute Witkoff’s involvement in these discussions.
The Senators are requesting all information related to Witkoff’s financial and ethics disclosures, including with regard to his decision to divest real estate holdings while maintaining cryptocurrency assets, and whether he has sought advice from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics regarding his personal and familial financial interests. Additionally, the Senators are seeking copies of all ethics agreements and whether any written waiver was granted to Witkoff to allow him to participate in discussions regarding U.A.E. access to advanced artificial intelligence chips.
This letter is also signed by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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