Trump Crypto Dinner Ethics Storm After Speaker Johnson Denies Knowing Foreign Guests

Jimmy Aki
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House Speaker Mike Johnson faced swift backlash Sunday after claiming ignorance about Donald Trump’s high-profile crypto fundraiser.

This event included foreign investors and key backers of the controversial $TRUMP meme coin. The Trump Crypto dinner, held at Trump’s Virginia golf club, has sparked ethics concerns over its undisclosed guest list and potential influence peddling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qIze-CNxjY

But on CNN’s State of the Union on May 25, Johnson brushed off questions, telling Jake Tapper: “I don’t know anything about the dinner. I was a little busy this past week…so I’m not going to comment on something I haven’t even heard about.”

Critics quickly pounced, accusing the Speaker of hypocrisy, contrasting his aggressive probes into Hunter Biden with his apparent indifference to Trump’s dealings.

Trump’s Crypto Dinner Draws Foreign Investors and Ethics Probes

The Trump crypto dinner, a crypto-themed on May 22 invited the top 220 holders of Trump’s $TRUMP meme coin, a token launched earlier this year.

Among the most notable attendees was Tron founder Justin Sun, a Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur charged by the U.S. SEC with fraud and market manipulation during the Biden administration.

The case against him was reportedly paused under Trump’s oversight in February.

Sun boasted on X (formerly Twitter) about his attendance, declaring himself Trump’s “TOP fan!” and sharing images from the event, where Trump reportedly gifted him a gold watch.

https://twitter.com/krassenstein/status/1925858075807719597

Reports also allege Sun invested $75 million in affiliated Trump crypto firms such as World Liberty Financial (WLFI).

Democratic lawmakers have raised alarms about potential violations of the foreign emoluments clause, which bars U.S. presidents from accepting gifts from foreign states without congressional approval.

Rising Tensions and Legislative Pushback Over Trump’s Crypto Ventures

The event triggered swift condemnation from Democrats. Protesters gathered outside the venue, carrying signs like “America is not for sale” and chanting “Shame!” as luxury cars rolled past the security checkpoint.

Senator Elizabeth Warren called the event “an orgy of corruption,” highlighting the dismantling of the Justice Department’s crypto enforcement unit and policy rollbacks at the SEC under Trump’s influence.

https://twitter.com/MarcoFoster_/status/1925632347291947334

She and others warned that such events risk turning the presidency into a profit-driven enterprise, blurring ethical boundaries.

In response, Representative Maxine Waters and several House Democrats introduced the “Stop TRUMP in Crypto Act.”

The bill aims to prevent Trump and his family from financially benefiting from cryptocurrency ventures while holding office.

Waters cited the TRUMP memecoin’s alleged $350 million impact on Trump’s net worth and his links to USD1, the WLFI stablecoin.

About Jimmy Aki PRO INVESTOR

Based in the UK, Jimmy is an economic researcher with outstanding hands-on and heads-on experience in Macroeconomic finance analysis, forecasting and planning. He has honed his skills having worked cross-continental as a finance analyst, which gives him inter-cultural experience. He currently has a strong passion for regulation and macroeconomic trends as it allows him peek under the global bonnet to see how the world works.