Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) demanded an investigation Wednesday into potential conflicts of interest concerning Trump administration officials David Sacks and Steve Witkoff, and their association with the World Liberty Financial cryptocurrency venture.
UAE AI Deal Under Scanner
In a letter sent to to Duane Townsend, the acting inspector general of the Commerce Department, Eric Ueland, the acting director of the Office of Government Ethics and Arne Baker, acting inspector general at the State Department, the lawmakers requested a probe into the roles that Sacks, Trump’s AI and Crypto Czar, and Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, might have played in advocating for the U.S. to “sell sensitive national security technology” to the United Arab Emirates.
“According to reports, Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Sacks both played key roles in the White House's decision to relax national security restrictions on the shipment of advanced AI systems to the UAE," the senators wrote, citing a New York Times report.
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A World Liberty Financial Link?
The Senators are also interested in determining the extent to which Sacks and Witkoff could financially gain from these deals.
The lawmakers said that Witkoff holds a financial stake in World Liberty Financial, while his son, Zach Witkoff, the company’s co-founder, brokered a $2 billion UAE-backed deal linked to World Liberty Financial USD (USD1) stablecoin. They also accused Sacks of running a venture fund “backed by Emirati capital” that also invests in the infrastructure supporting USD1.
“These overlapping ties mean both men stand to profit from government decisions they helped shape,” the letter read.
Notably, World Liberty Financial’s co-founders include Trump’s three sons, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr and Barron Trump.
Benzinga has reached out to the White House and David Sacks and is awaiting their response.
Warren Steps Up Attack
This call for investigation is not the first time Senators have expressed concerns over potential conflicts of interest involving Trump administration officials. Warren demanded an investigation into whether Sacks may have overstayed his term limit as a special government employee to continue influencing cryptocurrency policy.
Warren previously labeled the Trump-backed stablecoin USD1 as a potential threat to national security and a conduit for corruption.
"Trump’s stablecoin is shady and a national security risk," she said. "He’s cashing in on foreign crypto deals—and weakening guardrails that protect our advanced technology."
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
