Latest news with #Raskin
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Memecoin Dinner Questioned by Top Democrat on House Judiciary Committee
A senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, Jamie Raskin, joined his name to lawmakers seeking answers about President Donald Trump's recent dinner for top investors in his memecoin, sending questions directly to Trump. Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has been a vocal critic of the president and becomes the latest of many from his party to probe details about the event, which they've called out as evidence of White House corruption. Because Raskin is in the minority party, his demands are unlikely to lead to further congressional action unless they regain the House or Senate in next year's elections. "I write today to demand that you release the names of all the attendees at this dinner and provide information about the source of the money they each used to buy $TRUMP coins, so that we can prevent illegal foreign government emoluments from being pocketed without congressional consent," Raskin wrote this week to the president, joining many counterparts in the Senate in seeking the information, including Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal. "We deserve to know who is paying for access to our president, and what steps you took to ensure that the funds you receive are legitimate and legal, rather than the proceeds from foreign states or monarchs or illegal activities," Rasking said, specifically highlighting Tron founder Justin Sun, a guest who was a major early investor in Trump's family crypto operations.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Raskin investigating Trump meme coin event
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has opened an investigation into President Trump's meme coin dinner that took place last week and asked the White House to disclose the names of the attendees, warning that foreign governments could be attempting to curry favor with the president through cryptocurrency acquisitions. 'I write today to demand that you release the names of all the attendees at this dinner and provide information about the source of the money they each used to buy $TRUMP coins, so that we can prevent illegal foreign government emoluments from being pocketed without congressional consent,' Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote in a late Wednesday letter to Trump. Raskin, who has often criticized the president's foreign dealings, argued that the disclosure of the names of the individuals who attended the May 22 private dinner at Trump's golf club will inform the public about 'who is putting tens of millions of dollars into our President's pocket so we can start to figure out what — beyond virtually worthless memecoins — they are getting in exchange for all this money.' The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. The letter comes as Vice President Vance addressed the crypto industry at the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas this week, telling attendees to bolster their involvement in politics. The sector's heavy hitters spent north of $200 million to back crypto-aligned candidates during the 2024 election cycle. 'Take the momentum of your political involvement in 2024 and carry it forward to 2026 and beyond. Don't ignore politics, because I guarantee you, my friends, politics is not going to ignore this community, not now and not in the future,' Vance told the crowd on Wednesday. Fairshake, a pro-crypto Super PAC, and its two affiliates announced in late January that they have $116 million in cash on hand, preparing their war chest for the 2026 midterms. The dinner last week was limited to 220 attendees. The event drew $148 million in purchases, according to crypto firm Inca Digital. Presidents have long attended private dinners to fill the coffers of their political committees, but last week's event will likely benefit Trump family-affiliated businesses, according to Raskin. The buyers at the dinner were not required to file disclosures, as would be the case when donating to political committees. 'Profiting off the memecoin is just the latest in a bewildering gamut of schemes in which you and your family have profited after your return to office and what you call 'the Swamp,'' the Maryland Democrat said. The White House has previously said the private event does not constitute a conflict of interest, saying that Trump's assets are managed by his sons in a blind trust. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the occasion 'is not a White House dinner' and that Trump was attending it in 'his personal time.' Raskin also highlighted in his letter that a Chinese-born crypto mogul Justin Sun invested $75 million in World Liberty Financial, a Trump family venture, after the president won the 2024 presidential election. Then in February, the Securities and Exchange Commission asked a court to halt a suit against Sun for two months. The businessman has faced market manipulation charges since 2023. Sun confirmed that he is the biggest owner of the meme token at the dinner. 'Foreign nationals — who are not allowed to donate a dollar to your presidential campaign under federal election laws — are now purchasing access to you by buying millions of dollars of your personal memecoin,' Raskin wrote. 'Moreover, given the opaque nature of the cryptocurrency buying process, there are few ways to ensure that the money used to purchase your memecoins are not from foreign governments or illegal proceeds in connection with terrorism, drug and human trafficking, money laundering, or other illegal activities,' the Democratic lawmaker added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Raskin investigating Trump meme coin event
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has opened an investigation into President Trump's memo coin dinner that took place last week and asked the White House to disclose the names of the attendees, warning that foreign governments could be attempting to curry favor with the president through cryptocurrency acquisitions. 'I write today to demand that you release the names of all the attendees at this dinner and provide information about the source of the money they each used to buy $TRUMP coins, so that we can prevent illegal foreign government emoluments from being pocketed without congressional consent,' Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote in a late Wednesday letter to Trump. Raskin, who has often criticized the president's foreign deals, argued that the disclosure of the names of the individuals who attended the May 22 private dinner at Trump's golf club will inform the public about 'who is putting tens of millions of dollars into our President's pocket so we can start to figure out what—beyond virtually worthless memecoins—they are getting in exchange for all this money.' The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. The letter comes as Vice President Vance addressed the crypto industry at the Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas this week, telling attendees to bolster their involvement in politics. The sector's heavy hitters spent north of $200 million to back crypto-aligned candidates during the 2024 election cycle. 'Take the momentum of your political involvement in 2024 and carry it forward to 2026 and beyond. Don't ignore politics, because I guarantee you, my friends, politics is not going to ignore this community, not now and not in the future,' Vance told the crowd on Wednesday. Fairshake, a pro-crypto Super PAC, and its two affiliates announced in late January that they have $116 million in cash on hand, preparing their war chest for the 2026 midterms. The dinner last week was limited to 220 attendees. The event drew $148 million in purchases, according to crypto firm Inca Digital. Presidents have long attended private dinners to fill the coffers of their political committees, but last week's event will likely benefit Trump family-affiliated businesses, according to Raskin. The buyers at the dinner were not required to file disclosures, as would be the case when donating to political committees. 'Profiting off the memecoin is just the latest in a bewildering gamut of schemes in which you and your family have profited after your return to office and what you call 'the Swamp,'' the Maryland Democrat said. The White House has previously said the private event does not constitute a conflict of interest, saying that Trump's assets are managed by his sons in a blind trust. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the occasion 'is not a White House dinner' and that Trump was attending it in 'his personal time.' Raskin also highlighted in his letter that a Chinese-born crypto mogul Justin Sun invested $75 million in World Liberty Financial, a Trump family venture, after the president won the 2024 presidential election. Then in February, the Securities and Exchange Commission asked a court to halt the suit for two months against Sun. The businessman has faced market manipulation charges since 2023. Sun confirmed that he is the biggest owner memo token at the dinner. 'Foreign nationals—who are not allowed to donate a dollar to your presidential campaign under federal election laws—are now purchasing access to you by buying millions of dollars of your personal memecoin,' Raskin wrote. 'Moreover, given the opaque nature of the cryptocurrency buying process, there are few ways to ensure that the money used to purchase your memecoins are not from foreign governments or illegal proceeds in connection with terrorism, drug and human trafficking, money laundering, or other illegal activities,' the Democratic lawmaker added.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
"A bewildering gamut of schemes": Democrats press Trump for information on "crypto con" dinner
A top House Democrat is demanding more information about President Donald Trump's recent dinner for investors in his crypto meme coin. Rep. Jaime Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, is calling on the president to release the names of attendees at the May 22 gala, which was billed as 'the most exclusive invitation in the world.' 'Publication of this list will also let the American people know who is putting tens of millions of dollars into our President's pocket so we can start to figure out what — beyond virtually worthless memecoins — they are getting in exchange for all this money,' Raskin wrote in a letter to Trump, which was first reported by The Washington Post. The event was attended by the top 220 investors in digital currency. The invitees spent an average of more than $1 million on the coin, according to NBC News, with the top holders spending north of $10 million. 'Profiting off the memecoin is just the latest in a bewildering gamut of schemes in which you and your family have profited after your return to office,' Raskin wrote. 'Entities affiliated with The Trump Organization control 80% of the entire supply of $TRUMP coins—1 billion coins in total— and stand to reap the lion's share of any profits from the venture,' he added. Raskin's probe is the latest example of congressional Democrats targeting Trump's blurring of lines between his official role and his private business interests, including his meme coin, a form of online currency that is based on online jokes and holds no actual value. 'Nowhere is Trump's blatant disregard and disrespect for the rule of law more apparent than in the way he has exploited the office of the presidency to promote shady, fraudulent crypto ventures that hold no real value, and serve no true purpose other than to pad his pockets,' Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif,, the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee, said in a statement last week. 'Trump's crypto con is not just a scam to target investors. It's also a dangerous backdoor for selling influence over American policies to the highest foreign bidder.' Waters concurrently introduced a bill that would prevent the President, Vice President, or members of Congress from profiting from cryptocurrencies. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has rejected accusations of a conflict of interest, arguing that they are invalid because Trump attended the dinner in his personal time and it was not, officially, 'a White House dinner.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Raskin: Trump looking to ‘exact vengeance' on Harvard with foreign student block
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said during a recent interview that President Trump is looking to 'exact vengeance' on Harvard University after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) blocked the Ivy League institution from enrolling foreign students. Raskin said on Friday night that the administration's move to rescind Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification is 'definitely unconstitutional because it was in retaliation for Harvard rejecting the last round of unconstitutional attacks on its autonomy.' 'When Donald Trump essentially said that the federal government of the United States was going to take over their admissions process, take over their faculty hiring process, take over their curriculum, Harvard just said, that's a bridge too far. No way,' Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said during his Friday night appearance on CNN's 'Erin Burnett OutFront' show. The Maryland Democrat, a Harvard Law School alumnus, argued Trump is 'trying to exact vengeance and retaliation again by taking it out on 7,000 students from other countries, forcing them to completely change their plans, turning their lives upside down and stripping Harvard of a quarter of its students.' The White House slammed Raskin on Saturday, stating Harvard is 'facing the consequences' for its actions. 'Jamie Raskin has zero credibility left after he's unsuccessfully launched one liberal hoax after another against President Trump,' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told The Hill. 'Harvard has turned into a hotbed for anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators that put American students at risk,' she continued. 'They've repeatedly failed to address the serious issues plaguing their campus, despite warnings, and now they're facing the consequences.' DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, when announcing the foreign student ban, said the administration was holding the elite school accountable for 'fostering violence,' not doing enough to combat antisemitism and 'coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.' The administration's task force for combating antisemitism said earlier this month that Harvard has 'failed to confront the pervasive race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment plaguing its campus.' A Harvard University Police Department report, released in October last year, found that a number of hate crimes reported to law enforcement at the school doubled, going from five to 10 between 2022 and 2023. Noem said that because of the certification being revoked, international students will need to transfer to another school or they would risk jeopardizing their legal status in the U.S. Harvard filed a lawsuit Friday morning alleging the administration's actions violated the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted a temporary restraining order hours later and set a hearing for May 29 to deliberate whether a longer pause is necessary. The White House said on Friday that the American people elected Trump, 'not random local judges with their own liberal agenda –— to run the country.' 'These unelected judges have no right to stop the Trump Administration from exercising their rightful control over immigration policy and national security policy,' Jackson previously said. Raskin characterized the administration's actions as a 'completely lawless situation.' 'The administration doesn't get to control higher education in America and tell colleges and universities what to do. They don't get to control newspaper entities and TV networks the way Donald Trump has been trying to do,' Raskin said Friday night. 'And they don't get to control law firms or any other private entity, but they're trying to move us into an authoritarian situation, so he can continue to embark upon his corruption tour of the world.' The Trump administration has gone back-and-forth with Harvard in recent months, terminating nearly $3 billion worth of federal grants as the president warns the school that its tax-exempt status could be revoked. 'We are going to be taking away Harvard's Tax Exempt Status. It's what they deserve!' Trump said on Truth Social in early May. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
