Elizabeth Warren raises ethics concerns over White House crypto czar David Sacks’ tenure
Democratic lawmakers pressed David Sacks, President Donald Trump’s “crypto and AI czar,” on Sept. 17 to reveal whether or not he has exceeded the cut-off dates of his temporary White House appointment, elevating questions on doable ethics violations.
In a letter signed by Senator Elizabeth Warren and 7 different members of Congress, the lawmakers stated Sacks might have surpassed the 130-day cap for Special Government Employees, a class that permits private-sector professionals to serve the federal government on a part-time or short-term foundation.
The Office of Government Ethics units the cap to reduce conflicts of curiosity, as SGEs are permitted to proceed receiving exterior salaries whereas in authorities service. Warren has beforehand raised similar concerns round Sacks’ appointment.
Conflict-of-interest worries
Sacks, a enterprise capitalist and basic associate at Craft Ventures, has performed a high-profile position in shaping Trump administration coverage on digital belongings and synthetic intelligence.
Lawmakers argued that his personal monetary ties to Silicon Valley elevate severe moral questions if he’s now not throughout the bounds of SGE standing.
According to the letter:
“When issuing your ethics waiver, the White House famous that the cautious steadiness in conflict-of-interest guidelines for SGEs was reached with the understanding that they might solely serve the general public ‘on a brief foundation. For you specifically, compliance with the SGE time restrict is essential, given the size of your conflicts of curiosity.”
The group famous that Sacks’ personal wage from Craft Ventures is permissible solely underneath the short-term provisions of his appointment. If he has labored previous the authorized restrict, the lawmakers warned, his continued twin roles may characterize a breach of ethics.
Counting the times
According to the letter, Sacks was appointed in December 2024 and commenced working round Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. By the lawmakers’ calculation, he reached the 130-day threshold in late May if counting each calendar day, or late July if counting enterprise days.
As of Sept. 17, they stated, he had served for 167 days.
Alongside Warren, the letter was signed by Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal and Jeffrey Merkley, in addition to Reps. Melanie Stansbury, Betty McCollum, Rashida Tlaib and Bernie Sanders.
The lawmakers requested a full accounting of Sacks’ service document and a clarification of his employment standing. The White House and Sacks haven’t publicly responded to the inquiry.
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