Democrats Call for Investigation
U.S. Democrats seek a probe into a $500 million UAE investment tied to Trump-linked crypto ventures.
Democratic senators in the United States are calling for an investigation into a $500 million deal involving a cryptocurrency company linked to Donald Trump’s family and investors from Abu Dhabi.
In a letter addressed to Republican leaders in the Senate, Democratic lawmakers urged the immediate launch of hearings into the matter. They also requested that members of the Trump administration testify under oath regarding the transaction and any related government decisions.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser, acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial in January 2025. The cryptocurrency platform has been associated with Donald Trump and members of his family.
A few months later, in May 2025, the Trump administration finalized a major agreement with the UAE involving the sale of weapons and artificial intelligence chips. Democrats argue that the deal moved forward despite concerns raised by U.S. intelligence and security officials, who warned that the technologies could potentially become accessible to China. Trump has maintained that he had no knowledge of the World Liberty Financial investment at the time.
Democratic senators say the sequence of events raises questions about whether the UAE received favorable treatment after investing in a company connected to the president’s family. They believe Congress should examine the details of the investment and determine whether it influenced subsequent policy decisions made by the administration.
The latest demand for an investigation is part of a broader Democratic effort to scrutinize World Liberty Financial. In February, Senator Elizabeth Warren called on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to review whether the UAE investment should have been examined by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
Democrats have also pressed SEC Chairman Paul Atkins following the dismissal of a fraud lawsuit against Justin Sun, one of World Liberty Financial’s most prominent supporters.
In May, Senator Peter Welch and Congressman Dave Min launched a separate inquiry into a series of pardons issued by Trump, including one granted to Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao.
The pardon came after Binance accepted a $2 billion investment from an Abu Dhabi-backed fund earlier in 2025. As part of the agreement, the parties decided that the transaction would be settled using USD1, a stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial.
