Lawmakers Target Trump’s $TRUMP Coin Dinner—DOJ Ethics Probe Looms

Washington circles buzz as lawmakers demand a DOJ investigation into the ethics of an exclusive crypto-backed gala tied to the controversial $TRUMP token. The event—dubbed a ’political fundraiser meets meme coin carnival’—has watchdogs crying foul over potential conflicts.

Behind the velvet ropes: Critics argue the dinner blurs lines between political fundraising and speculative crypto hype. Meanwhile, traders shrug—another day, another token riding coattails to volatility.

Closing jab: Nothing unites Washington and Wall Street like the smell of fresh opportunism—whether it’s printed on Treasury bonds or minted as memecoins.

Casten, Smith Call for DOJ Inquiry Into Trump Gala

In the letter from Casten and Smith, backed by 35 House Democrats, the lawmakers claim that the dinner for the top 220 $TRUMP investors held on Thursday “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,” Casten and Smith said.

In particular, the two representatives emphasized concerns over Chinese TRON founder Justin Sun’s recent announcement that he was the top investor of Trump’s namesake meme coin, exacerbating foreign influence concerns.

Sun faced fraud charges from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission over his Tron blockchain, though those were recently dropped shortly after investing millions in the Trump-affiliated crypto platform, World Liberty Financial.

“U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns,” the lawmakers said. “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.”

Democrats Question $TRUMP Dinner Ethics

Hosted at Trump National Golf Club just outside of Washington, D.C., the $TRUMP Gala dinner drew a wave of pushback from Democratic lawmakers who expressed issues over potential ethics concerns.

On Thursday, ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee Maxine Waters (D-CA) introduced a new bill that WOULD prohibit elected officials from owning a substantial amount of cryptocurrency.

However, it is still unclear if Democrats hold enough sway to enact legislation against Trump’s crypto affairs.