#crypto corruption gala

[saywhat-politics]

'Met Gala of pay-for-play’: Trump crypto dinner is brazenly corrupt, says Hayes

Trump’s $1 million-per-seat secret dinner is “the most brazen act of corruption by a president in our lifetimes, probably in a century, possibly ever,” says Chris Hayes. “Call it the Met Gala of presidential pay-for-play.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dean Obeidallah at The Dean's Report:

There must be corrupt dictators in other countries jealous of Donald Trump. After all, in just three months, Trump has turned the American presidency into a corrupt enterprise that has made himself—and his family--literally billions of dollars. From a crypto coin scam where the top 220 holders of the “$TRUMP” meme coin will get an "intimate private dinner" with Trump to his trip this week to visit Middle Eastern countries that his sons recently made business deals with to being on the verge of accepting a luxury jet valued at $400 million as a gift from the royal family of Qatar. Sure, we had Presidents who were involved in scandals from Watergate to the Tea Pot Dome to The Whiskey Ring and more. In those cases, however, there was not even an allegation the President had personally profited. But In Trump’s case, there’s no dispute he’s personally raking in money that will line his pockets and his families. For starters, the most brazen example of Trump’s corruption is the “$TRUMP” meme coin. In late April, as the stock market was tanking because of Trump’s dangerous trade war, Trump announced that the coin’s top 220 holders would be invited to a private gala dinner with him on May 22 at the Trump National Golf Club,. But wait there’s more. The top 25 holders of the coin would also be treated to “an ultra-exclusive VIP reception with the president.” As you would imagine, the price of the Trump currency jumped in profit by more than 60 percent. To be clear--as the NY Times reported—"the president personally profits every time the price increases” given the way that Trump owns a large chunk of the coins himself.

Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics called this scam: “Unbelievable.” Bookbinder summed up this scam perfectly saying Trump is “auctioning off access to the presidency.” He added that given that owners of the Trump coins can shield their identity, “we don’t know everyone who is spending money at his properties.” But we can be assured that Trump will know who is making him money and given Trump’s history he will reward them. Meanwhile, Trump’s Justice Department announced last month they are disbanding a unit dedicated to investigating cryptocurrency-related fraud and the S.E.C. issued official guidance saying meme coins like Trump’s will not be subject to oversight by the agency. You have to be f**king kidding me?!! Then there is Trump’s trip this week to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Qatar. As the Wall Street Journal reported, these three nations all “stand out for their warm embrace of Trump Inc.” For example—and this is truly jaw-dropping--a U.A.E. state and royal family fund announced weeks ago they are using $2 billion of a new crypto stablecoin issued by the Trump owned World Liberty Financial to invest in a crypto exchange. In simpler terms, the U.A.E. gave Trump’s company—which he has a large personal stake--$2 billion to curry favor with him.

But that is just the tip of the Trump iceberg of corruption. As the WSJ reported, “A developer in April unveiled a Trump luxury golf resort at a state-owned project in Qatar at an event featuring Eric Trump and a Qatari minister.” There is also the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Dubai—announced just three week ago--that is to occupy 80 floors and contain a members-only club “set to redefine the meaning of exclusive luxury.” And The Trump International Golf Course outside Doha, Qatar, announced on May 1 –which will include an 18-hole course, a clubhouse and high-end villas with access to the beach. The money is also going to Trump’s close allies. Sovereign or royal funds from the three countries Trump is visiting have committed more than $3.5 billion to a private-equity fund run by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. And as WSJ noted, “state-backed funds from Qatar and the U.A.E. were major investors in a $6 billion fundraising round for Trump adviser Elon Musk’s xAI.”

When Trump’s head cheerleader Karoline Leavitt was recently asked if the Middle East trip is about Trump making more money, she was outraged. She let the reporter have it stating, “It’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service.” All that was missing from this comedy sketch was Leavitt then yelling, “Live from New York…it’s Saturday Night!”

[...] Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi concluded that accepting such a massive gift would be "legally permissible." In reality, the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution states plainly that “no person holding any office” is permitted to accept any “present” from “any king, prince, or foreign state.” Well in this case, Trump’s gift from the royal family of Qatar is from a “king, prince and foreign state.” He has violated all three with one gift!

[...] Democrats in Congress have been vocally criticizing Trump’s corruption. Sen. Liz Warren gave a speech on the Senate floor recently slamming Trump’s “100 acts of corruption” that included Trump signing “executive orders making crypto a priority” which raised the value of his own crypto coins. And a growing number of Democrats in Congress have called for investigations into Trump’s corruption—but given they are in the minority in both chambers, it will not happen. At this point Democrats best bet may be tying Trump’s corruption to the GOP. Forget asking Republicans to denounce it, make them own it. Trump and GOP claim to be about working-class Americans but in reality they are about making Trump, his family and inner circle more money.

Dean Obeidallah wrote a home run of a column in rightly calling Donald Trump the most corrupt “President” in American history.

[darlingrevenge]

(MICHAEL CIMINO, CISMALE, HE/HIM) They say the city never forgets a name and MIGUEL RIVERA is no testament to that. The TWENTY-FIVE-year-old has carved out their place in NYC’s underbelly. On the surface, they’re all QUIRKY, smooth moves and sharp eyes. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find something far more dangerous , STUBBORN, with no hesitation and even less remorse. They move through the streets like they own them, wearing the colors of the THE ASSEMBLY and running the game as a HACKER. Some say they’ve always been here. Others swear something’s changed. Either way, they’re not just part of the story.

“I can hack a city grid blindfolded, but sure, let’s pretend your six-digit password is impressive.”

Affiliation: The Assembly Occupation: Hacker | Surveillance Tech | Digital Mischief Coordinator™ Face Claim: Michael Cimino Age: 25 Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Vibe: Golden retriever energy + keyboard gremlin Alignment: Chaotic good with a morally gray badge

OVERVIEW

Miguel Rivera is the reason the darkest ops team in New York hasn't murdered each other yet. While the rest of The Assembly moves in silence and shadows, Miguel moves in memes, caffeine, and absurd commentary. He’s the sunshine in a room full of storm clouds—cracking jokes while cracking encrypted files.

Yes, he can break into government servers like it's a game of Sudoku. Yes, he knows everyone's dirty secrets. But somehow, Miguel manages to hold it all with a light touch. He’s funny, warm, loud when he shouldn't be—and too smart for his own good. While others push agendas, Miguel keeps the heart of The Assembly somewhat human.

Don’t mistake the sunshine for softness though—he’ll fry your hard drive mid-sentence and eat your lunch while he does it.

SKILLS

Elite Hacker Energy: Breaks into encrypted systems while dancing to '90s playlists.

Surveillance Expert: Runs the screens, drones, wiretaps—sometimes with glitter stickers on the gear.

Distraction Master: Talks his way out of almost anything, including getting caught in places he shouldn’t be.

Creative Sabotage: Think: replacing a corrupt politician’s files with cat videos and crashing a mobster's crypto wallet with confetti code.

People Person™: The one Assembly agent who can talk to a barista and a senator and make them both laugh.

BACKSTORY

Miguel Rivera believes in light. Even when it’s dim, even when it flickers, even when no one else can see it—he does. Because when you lose everything and still wake up smiling, what else can you be but hope in a hoodie?

Raised in the Bronx by his grandmother after his parents were killed in a crossfire, Miguel learned early that grief doesn’t ask for permission. He also learned that grief doesn’t win—not if you don’t let it. His abuela filled their tiny apartment with prayer candles and laughter, cooking lessons and telenovelas, and a constant refrain: “Find joy, even in the ruins.” So Miguel did. First in machines. Then in people.

He was a self-taught prodigy—building computers before he hit puberty, hacking school firewalls for fun, setting up VPNs for his neighborhood to stream movies for free. He had the mind of a genius and the heart of a class clown. Teachers adored him, classmates gravitated to him, but behind all that light was a quiet knowledge of loss. He didn’t let it define him—but he never forgot it, either.

When his grandmother passed during his sophomore year of college, something in him cracked—but it didn’t break. Instead, he turned pain into purpose. He got louder. Brighter. Smarter. He started exposing corruption in quiet, clever ways. And when he hacked a NYPD database as a prank, turning their annual gala slideshow into SpongeBob GIFs, The Assembly came calling.

They expected a jaded, sharp-tongued hacker. What they got was someone who talks too fast, wears headphones like a crown, and calls his surveillance drones “my babies.” He doesn’t just track targets—he watches over people. The team calls him "the kid" but listens when he speaks, because his heart? It’s as dangerous as his code.

Miguel jokes so he doesn’t fall apart. He smiles so others don’t have to fake it. And when it really counts—when things are falling apart and no one knows what comes next—he’s the one still holding onto the idea that maybe, just maybe, there’s still something worth saving.

TRAITS

Sunshine with Bite: Always smiling, always joking—but fiercely loyal and deeply protective.

Empathic Tech Nerd: Understands people as much as he understands code.

Morally Awake in a Corrupt World: He jokes to cope, but he’s here to make a difference—even if it’s behind the curtain.

Talks Fast, Thinks Faster: Words spill out like a stream of consciousness. Often ridiculous. Always on brand.

Unintentional Charmer: Doesn’t know how hot or smart he is. It’s infuriating.

CONNECTION

The Grumpy to His Sunshine: Someone in The Assembly who finds him very annoying… until they don’t.

The One He Accidentally Hacked: Oops. That virus was meant for someone else. Now they’re in his DMs.

The Crush He Can’t Shut Up About: A rival? A cop? A morally-questionable crush he keeps gushing about while the team rolls their eyes.

The Bestie with Matching Chaos: Another upbeat character who causes joint mischief with Miguel. Trouble, but make it adorable.

The One He Secretly Protects: Maybe a civilian or someone who he wants to protect. He monitors them like a silent guardian.

[cemcerkez]

status — closed for @rajendraxsingh

location— briar ridge spring fling

Briar Ridge’s annual Spring Fling-Easter fundraiser was every bit as aggressively wholesome as Cem had imagined it would be. Pastel balloons bounce in the spring breeze, kids dart through manicured hedges on sugar highs, and somewhere nearby a live bunny was being wrangled into yet another family photo. Sucks to be him. The scent of cotton candy and fresh-cut grass hang in the air. It was almost enough to forget they were surrounded by money—old, new, and quietly corrupt.

Cem approaches Raj with a paper cup of lemonade in one hand and a subtle glint in his eye. The sunlight filters through the trees above them, catching on his sharp profile as he gives Raj a nod and drops into the folding chair beside him at the long craft table. Their “basket decorating station” had a disturbingly cheerful sign that read HOP TO IT! MAKE YOUR OWN EASTER MAGIC! in glitter glue.

“You look like you’re about to fake a smile so hard your face will break,” Cem murmurs with amusement under his breath, just loud enough for Raj to hear. He reaches for a spool of lavender ribbon and begins threading it with way more finesse than anyone had the right to. Then, quieter, his voice drops as he works: “Alara’s in. She’ll meet you at the gala—knowing her, she’ll be the one wearing ‘something that makes you regret being professional.’ Her words, not mine.” He cuts a length of ribbon, his expression calm, casual, perfectly detached from the steel beneath his tone. “You’ll be introduced as her consultant-slash-business partner. The inner circle's expecting a new tech player out of Dubai. That’s you. Raj Singh. Crypto investor, cybersecurity consultant, self-made millionaire. You summer in Ibiza and pretend to hate it.” He hands Raj a glue stick like it was a classified document.

“There’ll be a man there—Luca Vernetti. Keeps to the edges, but the power flows through him. He’s the linchpin. We think he’s using the charity as a shell company for logistics on the arms end. We need eyes, ears, and ideally, dirt.” He begins hot-gluing faux daisies to the rim of their basket like it was a surgical operation. “Don’t get too comfortable. And don’t get caught.” Cem finally looks up, a smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth. “Oh, and if anyone asks, tell them we’re part of the ‘Decorate for a Cause’ initiative. Apparently, if our basket wins, we get a gift card or something and the admiration of retirees.” He leans back slightly, eyes scanning the crowd over his cup. “And Raj?” His voice is low, but sharp enough to cut through the laughter of nearby kids. “Smile. You’re being watched.”

[lenbryant]

(LongPostNYT) A Comprehensive Accounting of Trump’s Culture of Corruption

​

By The Editorial Board

The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom.

At the gala dinner President Trump held last month for those who bought the most Trump cryptocurrency, the champion spender was the entrepreneur Justin Sun, who had put down more than $40 million on $Trump coins. Mr. Sun had a good reason to hope that this investment would pay off. He previously invested $75 million in a different Trump crypto venture — and shortly after the Trump administration took office in January, the Securities and Exchange Commission paused its lawsuit against him on charges of cryptocurrency fraud.

The message seemed obvious enough: People who make Mr. Trump richer regularly receive favorable treatment from the government he runs.

The cryptocurrency industry is perhaps the starkest example of the culture of corruption in his second term. He and his relatives directly benefit from the sale of their cryptocurrency by receiving a cut of the investment. Even if the price of the coins later falls and investors lose money, the Trumps can continue to benefit by receiving a commission on future sales. Forbes magazine estimates that he made about $1 billion in cryptocurrency in the past nine months, about one-sixth of his net worth.

Only a few years ago, Mr. Trump was deeply skeptical of cryptocurrency, calling it “potentially a disaster waiting to happen” and comparing it to the ���drug trade and other illegal activity.” Since he and his family have become major players in the market, however, his concerns have evidently disappeared. He shut down a Justice Department team that investigated illegal uses of cryptocurrency. He pardoned crypto executives who pleaded guilty to crimes, and his administration dropped federal investigations of crypto companies. He nullified an Internal Revenue Service rule that went after crypto users who didn’t pay their taxes.

The self-enrichment of the second Trump administration is different from old-fashioned corruption. There is no evidence that Mr. Trump has received direct bribes, nor is it clear that he has agreed to specific policy changes in exchange for cash. Nonetheless, he is presiding over a culture of corruption. He and his family have created several ways for people to enrich them — and government policy then changes in ways that benefit those who have helped the Trumps profit. Often Mr. Trump does not even try to hide the situation. As the historian Matthew Dallek recently put it, “Trump is the most brazenly corrupt national politician in modern times, and his openness about it is sui generis.” He is proud of his avarice, wearing it as a sign of success and savvy.

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This culture is part of Mr. Trump’s larger efforts to weaken American democracy and turn the federal government into an extension of himself. He has pushed the interests of the American people to the side, in favor of his personal interests. His actions reduce an already shaky public faith in government. By using the power of the people for personal gain, he degrades that power for any other purpose. He stains the reputation of the United States, which has long stood out as a place where confidence in the rule of law fosters confidence in the economy and financial markets. This country was not previously known as an executive kleptocracy.

During Mr. Trump’s first term, he frequently used his powers to reward himself. He held government events at his hotels, and his family business continued to make deals involving foreign governments, in an apparent violation of the constitutional prohibition of enrichment from foreign leaders. But those erasures of ethical norms now look like a dress rehearsal for the ultimate production of the second term. Given the stakes, we believe that it is important to step back and document the range of self-dealing since he took office four months ago:

While administration officials engage in complex negotiations in the Middle East, Mr. Trump and his family are making billions of dollars’ worth of deals with players in the region. The Trump Organization has six real estate projects planned in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The company struck a deal with the Qatari government to build a golf club and beachside villas that will bring in millions of dollars in fees. Mr. Trump announced recently that Qatar was donating a Boeing 747-8 worth about $200 million to serve as a more luxurious Air Force One, which he has said could go to his presidential library after he leaves office. For all this, he has made clear that tiny Qatar can expect a cozy relationship. “We are going to protect this country,” Mr. Trump said in Doha. “It’s a very special place, with a special royal family.”

During his first term, those currying favor with Mr. Trump bought drinks and dinner or spent the night at his Washington hotel. Now they can spend half a million dollars to join the private club Donald Trump Jr. is opening in Georgetown. It is called Executive Branch. The club’s founding members include Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, twin brothers whose cryptocurrency company was being sued by the S.E.C. — until Mr. Trump’s administration put a hold on the lawsuit.

As his administration is negotiating with Vietnam to reduce the tariffs he imposed on the country’s goods, the government there is making way for a $1.5 billion golf complex outside Hanoi, as well as a Trump skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnamese officials said in a letter that the real estate project needed to be fast-tracked because it was “receiving special attention from the Trump administration and President Donald Trump personally.”

Serbian officials cleared the way for a Trump International Hotel in Belgrade by using a forged document to permit the demolition of a cultural site at the location. Serbian opposition leaders say the forgery demonstrates how eager the country’s government has been to do a deal benefiting Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump has held meetings, including one in the Oval Office, to force a merger between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV golf circuit, which frequently holds tournaments on Trump courses. In April, LIV Golf paid the Trump family to host a tournament at the Trump National Doral in Florida. A merger could lead to more such events.

The right-wing activist Elizabeth Fago attended a $1 million per person fund-raising dinner for MAGA Inc., Mr. Trump’s super PAC, in April. Less than three weeks later, The Times reported, he granted a full pardon to Ms. Fago’s son Paul Walczak, who pleaded guilty to tax crimes in 2024. The pardon is one of many issued by Mr. Trump to people who provided him with political or financial support or were associated with others who did.

After personally suing media companies that the government regulates, including CBS/Paramount and ABC/Disney, Mr. Trump has won millions of dollars in settlements. Paramount has reportedly offered $15 million to settle a baseless lawsuit Mr. Trump filed against CBS, fearing that the Trump administration would otherwise block its planned merger with Skydance Media. Mr. Trump is demanding $25 million.

Amazon has agreed to pay $40 million for the rights to a documentary about Melania Trump. That’s tens of millions more than such projects usually cost, Hollywood executives have said. Mrs. Trump’s cut is more than 70 percent. Defense contracts for web services would be reason enough for Amazon to curry favor with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump’s inaugural committee raised $239 million, mostly from large corporations and business leaders. The committee spent far less than that on the inauguration and faces few legal restrictions on what to do with the rest of the money. It is typical for presidents not to spend all of their inaugural funds, but previous presidents raised far less than Mr. Trump. The largest donor, a chicken processor called Pilgrim’s Pride, already seems to be benefiting from favorable government policies, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The motivation for people to give so much money to the president of the United States is plain. Some want him to bestow favors on them; others are trying to avoid being punished by his administration’s vindictive approach to governance. All of them want to shift government policy to benefit them, often at the expense of the American people.

In the case of his foreign benefactors, they may not use campaign contributions to do so because federal law prohibits foreigners from donating to election campaigns. There are no such restrictions, though, on Georgetown club memberships or crypto funds. The investors in the Trumps’ crypto company include the United Arab Emirates, which is investing $2 billion, and a small technology company with ties to China that is buying as much as $300 million worth of Mr. Trump’s memecoins.

What can be done about all this? Congressional Republicans probably have the greatest ability to influence his behavior, and they have been largely quiescent. It is quite a contrast with the past, when Republicans appropriately raised concerns about dubious Democratic behavior, such as Hunter Biden’s attemptsto cash in on his family name and Bill Clinton’s efforts to reward top Democratic donors with nights in the Lincoln Bedroom or even a pardon. The Trumps’ behavior is far more egregious and voluminous.

Legal remedies also appear limited. Mr. Trump’s Justice Department and other agencies have made clear that they will not investigate his allies, let alone him and his family. Even long-term efforts to investigate corruption will be hobbled. The Supreme Court last year made it virtually impossible to hold a president criminally liable for actions even distantly related to his official duties, which may well include Mr. Trump’s self-enrichment. As for the people offering the tributes to Mr. Trump, he has made clear that he is willing to use his pardon power to protect his allies, regardless of the criminality of their behavior.

Sadly, that leaves voters as the remaining remedy. The best hope of holding Mr. Trump accountable for his culture of corruption involves calling attention to it and making his allies pay a political price for enabling it. Congressional Republicans clearly feel sheepish about aspects of it. A few of them, including Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the majority leader, and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, expressed concerns about the Qatari airplane. So did Ben Shapiro, the conservative podcaster. They all recognize that corruption is a political vulnerability.

Some congressional Democrats have tried to focus attention on the situation. “Donald Trump wants to numb this country into believing that this is just how government works,” Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, said in a recent floor speech. “That he’s owed this. That every president is owed this. That government has always been corrupt, and he’s just doing it out in the open.” But Democrats should do even more to highlight the ways that Mr. Trump is using powers that rightfully belong to the American people — the powers of the federal government — to benefit himself.

If Americans shrug this off as just “Trump being Trump,” his self-dealing will become accepted behavior. It will encourage other politicians to sell their offices. The damage will undermine our government, our society and even our economy. Historically, when corruption becomes the norm in a country, economic growth suffers, and living standards stagnate. Under Mr. Trump, the United States is sliding down that slope.

The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom. 

A version of this article appears in print on June 8, 2025, Section SR, Page 11 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump’s Corrosive Culture of Corruption. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

[12sknnews]

Warren Blasts Trump Gala’s 220-Investor Meme Coin Dinner for Ethical Breaches

Labeling it proof of creeping corruption, Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted Donald Trump’s crypto-fueled Trump gala on Thursday, arguing the $TRUMP dinner lets anonymous whales purchase presidential access. Lawmakers are now weighing tighter stablecoin rules in response. Elizabeth Warren Criticizes Trump In a May 22 press conference, Warren chided the $TRUMP dinner as an extension of Trump, “turning…

[nowworldview]

Former NBA star Lamar Odom attends Trump cryptocurrency gala amid protests

Former NBA star Lamar Odom attends Trump cryptocurrency gala amid protests Former NBA champion calls attendance 'the most authentic soulful experience in crypto history' despite corruption concerns Lamar Odom, #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers, drives the ball upcourt during the game against the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center on April 3, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. (Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty…

[ivankahasbeentreatedsounfairly]

The New York Times

By David Yaffe-Bellany and Eric Lipton

Reporting from Sterling, Va.

Published May 22, 2025

President Trump gathered Thursday evening at his Virginia golf club with the highest-paying customers of his personal cryptocurrency, promising that he would promote the crypto industry from the White House as protesters outside condemned the event as a historic corruption of the presidency.

The gala dinner held at the Trump National Golf Club in suburban Washington, where Mr. Trump flew from the White House on a military helicopter, turned into an extraordinary spectacle as hundreds of guests arrived, many having flown to the United States from overseas.

At the club’s entrance, the guests were greeted by dozens of protesters chanting “shame, shame, shame.”

It was a spectacle that could only have happened in the era of Donald J. Trump. Several of the dinner guests, in interviews with The New York Times, said that they attended the event with the explicit intent of influencing Mr. Trump and U.S. financial regulations.

“The past administration made your lives miserable,” Mr. Trump told the dinner guests, referring to the Biden administration’s enforcement actions against crypto companies.

The gala attendees made whooping noises while Mr. Trump spoke, and applauded as the president declared: “They were going after everybody. It was a disgrace frankly,” according to a video provided to The Times by a dinner guest.

Mr. Trump promised to change that approach. “There is a lot of sense in crypto. A lot of common sense in crypto,” he said. “And we’re honored to be working on helping everybody here.”

Mr. Trump and his business partners organized the dinner to promote sales of his $TRUMP cryptocurrency, a memecoin launched just days before Mr. Trump’s inauguration. A memecoin is a type of digital currency tied to an online joke or mascot; it typically has no function beyond speculation. But Mr. Trump’s coins have become a vehicle for investors, including many foreigners, to funnel money to his family.

The president’s business partners called the dinner the world’s “most EXCLUSIVE INVITATION” and posted a leaderboard online that allowed crypto investors to calculate how many $TRUMP coins they would have to buy to earn one of the 220 seats.

The start of Mr. Trump’s second term has been punctuated with more than a dozen of these lucrative transactions for his family and partners: real estate deals from Qatar to Serbia that involve foreign governments, a new banklike crypto venture that has pulled in $2 billion from the government of the United Arab Emirates, a golf tournament at his Miami club sponsored by a Saudi-funded venture. Mr. Trump is estimated to have added billions to his personal fortune, at least on paper, since the start of his new term, much of it through crypto.

But none of these profit-seeking pitches has been more explicit than the memecoin dinner. The event was unlike anything in recent American history — not a campaign fund-raiser but a gathering arranged by the president’s business partners to directly enrich the first family.

As guests were flowing into the club, protesters held signs with slogans like “Stop Crypto Corruption,” “Release the guest list” and “No Kings.”

“This is the crypto corruption club,” Senator Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon, yelled at the entrance to Mr. Trump’s golf course, speaking so loudly that he had to stop after he lost his voice.

“This is like the Mount Everest of corruption,” Mr. Merkley said.

At a news conference on Thursday, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, rejected any suggestion that Mr. Trump was acting inappropriately by hosting the dinner.

“It’s absurd for anyone to insinuate that this president is profiting off of the presidency,” she said before Mr. Trump headed to the club. “This president was incredibly successful before giving it all up to serve our country publicly.”

Outside the club, men in tuxedos began gathering by a sign-in table at 5 p.m., collecting wristbands and raffle tickets as they made their way inside to escape the rain. Some of the guests flashed foreign passports as a means of identification.

The dinner menu featured filet mignon and pan-seared halibut, as well as a “Trump organic field green salad.” Mr. Trump spoke from a lectern adorned with the presidential seal and with American flags arrayed behind him.

Perhaps the best known crypto investor at the dinner was Justin Sun, a Chinese billionaire who runs the crypto platform Tron. He spent more than $40 million on $TRUMP coins, earning himself the top spot on the leaderboard.

Wearing a black bow tie and accompanied by an assistant who held an umbrella over his head, Mr. Sun was among the first guests to arrive. In a brief interview at the club, he told The Times that the dinner would be his first meeting with Mr. Trump.

“I’m very excited to meet him and discuss about crypto’s future,” Mr. Sun said.

Sangrok Oh, a Korean crypto executive, arrived at the dinner with a collection of red baseball caps emblazoned with the words “Make Crypto Great Again” that he planned to hand out at the event. He said he had flown all the way from Seoul to attend the dinner.

“It’s kind of a fund-raiser” for Mr. Trump, Mr. Oh said in an interview at his hotel in Virginia. “And he’ll always be good to his sponsors.”

Others guests included Vincent Liu, the chief investment officer at Kronos Research, a crypto firm founded in Taiwan. Kronos profits by conducting high-frequency trading on crypto platforms across the world — except in the United States.

But with a nod from Mr. Trump and his regulators, Mr. Liu wants to enter the U.S. market. His firm bought enough of the $TRUMP coins to ensure he had a seat at the dinner — with the hope he might get Mr. Trump’s ear.

“I will definitely not hesitate to share my perspective,” Mr. Liu said. “It’s great to see the current direction that everything’s going.”

Mr. Trump launched the memecoin just days before his inauguration, setting off a flurry of trading. Initially, the coin’s price skyrocketed, before it eventually crashed, costing investors billions of dollars.

The dinner was designed to fuel more sales. The organizers framed it as a contest: The top 220 buyers would dine with Mr. Trump at his golf club, while the top 25 would attend a more intimate gathering with the president before dinner and go on a tour of the White House. (In a quirk, the winners were selected based on the average number of coins they held during the three weeks the contest was held, rather than their total at the end of bidding.)

“We want to be the leader in crypto, we want to be the leader in everything,” Mr. Trump told the top 25 guests on the $TRUMP coins leaderboard, according to a video shared with The Times. “It’s very important to me.”

A business entity tied to the Trumps sits on a large stash of the $TRUMP cryptocurrency and collects fees every time the coins change hands. So far, the coin has generated at least $320 million in fees, which the Trumps share with their business partners, according to Chainalysis, a crypto analytics firm.

Mr. Trump’s oldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, largely stayed silent while the $TRUMP memecoin contest played out, even though the company that they help run directly benefits from the sales.

Speaking at a government-sponsored business forum in Qatar, Donald Trump Jr. said this week that the Trump family has decided it should not hesitate to find new ways to profit, rejecting the business limits it voluntarily committed to during President Trump’s first term.

“Even the deals that were totally legit, it didn’t stop the insanity,” he said. “So, this time around, we said, ‘Hey, we’re going to play by the rules, but we’re not going to go so far as to stymie our business forever, lock ourselves in a proverbial padded room.’ Because it almost doesn’t matter. They’re going to hit you no matter what. So we’re just going to play the game.”

Many of the guests have a direct stake in how cryptocurrencies are regulated in the United States. They viewed the dinner as an opportunity to hear directly from Mr. Trump and gain insight into how they might expand operations in the United States after Biden-era rules led many of them to avoid investments in the country.

Other attendees were lower-profile entrepreneurs, influencers or Trump super fans, willing to pay for the chance to meet the president.

“If I were to get a selfie or a handshake or something or an autograph, that would be priceless in and of itself for me,” said Vincent Deriu, a 27-year-old consultant in New York who was ranked No. 165 on the $TRUMP leaderboard.

Among the other guests a reporter for The Times saw at the check-in area were SuKyung Na, who is chief operating officer at Hyperithm, a digital asset management company based in Tokyo and Seoul, and Yan Liberman, a co-founder of Delphi Digital, a Miami Beach firm that offers market intelligence for crypto investors.

The former N.B.A. star Lamar Odom — now promoting his own memecoin, $ODOM — posted on social media that he would be attending the event, and he appeared in other guests’ photos from inside Mr. Trump’s club. “I’m just about to pass through security and officially walk into the Trump Gala,” Mr. Odom wrote on social media. “Honestly… I’m fired up.”

The dinner list also included Nicholas Pinto, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from Cranford, N.J., who first became rich by selling scooter wheels when he was 13 and has since branched out to build a sprawling moneymaking social media presence and invest in crypto.

“I am hoping I will be the youngest winner there,” Mr. Pinto said, after he drove down from New Jersey for the dinner. “And I want to see what President Trump’s plans are for crypto. I want the inside scoop.”

As the event wrapped up, a raffle was held for two Trump-branded watches, and guests posed for a group photo with Trump hats on their heads, Mr. Pinto said.

The contest was set up by a company called Fight, Fight, Fight, which was created in January and is named after Mr. Trump’s response to the assassination attempt against him in July.

Originally, the Fight, Fight, Fight website, run by Bill Zanker, a longtime business partner of the Trump family, promised “a Special V.I.P. White House tour” for the top 25 coin holders. But references to the White House have been scrubbed from the site, which now promises a “V.I.P. Tour” without specifying the location.

Mr. Zanker did not respond to a request for comment. Asked about the change, a senior Trump administration official said the White House was not arranging a special tour for the crypto investors and had “nothing” to do with the memecoin event.

But the dinner organizers might still be taking guests on a tour of the White House’s East Wing, which is open to the public, the official said.

A spokesman for the Trump Organization also tried to distance the company from the event, saying it was not involved. But the Trump family itself, through a corporate entity called CIC Digital, takes a cut of the profits, and it also owns the golf club where the dinner was held.

[firstnewsng]

Trump attends memecoin gala as protesters slam ‘crypto corruption’

Trump attends memecoin gala as protesters slam ‘crypto corruption’ https://firstnews.com.ng/trump-attends-memecoin-gala-as-protesters-slam-crypto-corruption/

[realjaysumlin]

'Met Gala of pay-for-play’: Trump crypto dinner is brazenly corrupt, say...

Why is this okay?

[conniejoworld]

'Met Gala of pay-for-play’: Trump crypto dinner is brazenly corrupt, say...

[justinspoliticalcorner]

S.V. Dáte at HuffPost:

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is taking his efforts to use his office for personal enrichment — the very definition of corruption — to new levels Thursday night, selling face time to those who put money into his bank account by purchasing nearly $200 million worth of his branded souvenir crypto coins. And while Trump will know who has parted with all that cash for the opportunity to spend a few hours to bend his ear, Americans will not — unless they can somehow match real names to monikers like “MeCo,” “CASE, “GAnt” and “REKT.” Those four individuals or organisations, identified only by their usernames and crypto “wallet” addresses, collectively owned 2.7 million $TRUMP coins, worth a total of $38.3 million on Wednesday, based on the $14 price per coin that day. “He’s auctioning off access,” Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Thursday. “It’s corrupt and it’s out there for everyone to see.” Heather Cox Richardson, a Boston College historian, said Trump’s open corruption is unprecedented in American history. “Interestingly, the real financial corruption in an administration is around the president, not usually the president himself,” she said. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the crypto coin business “has nothing to do with the White House.”

Anna Kelly, a White House deputy press secretary, denied Trump was doing anything wrong and instead attacked the news media for correctly reporting on his two federal prosecutions, his criminal conviction for falsifying business records and the civil judgment against his company for massive fraud. “President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public, which is why they overwhelmingly reelected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media,” she said. Trump began selling his new tokens three days before his inauguration. The coin, which has zero intrinsic value, soared in price to as high as $75, allowing 58 early buyers to make over $10 million each before the coins plummeted in value. They were selling for about $8 each before Trump announced his contest in late April to award a “gala” dinner at his golf resort in Sterling, Virginia, to the top 220 Trump coin purchasers, based on how much they held on average from Jan. 17 through May 15. The top 25 coin holders would also be invited to a “VIP” reception with Trump before the dinner and then a tour the following day. The contest website originally had promised a White House tour, but subsequently changed the page to delete the White House reference.

[...] The Trump meme coin is just one piece of Trump’s open attempts to use his presidency for his personal gain. While he did the same in his first term through his hotels and golf resorts, he has focused this time around on his various crypto ventures. Indeed, his World Liberty Financial brokerage announced just before Trump’s recent trip to the Middle East that a state-backed firm in the United Arab Emirates was using its “stable” coin for a $2 billion transaction. How much, precisely, Trump is earning through these various schemes may never be known, because — unlike every other president in recent times — he has refused to release his tax returns to the public.

Donald Trump is just as corrupt as he was in his first term, maybe more so this time around.

[yassinnoovebusiness]

Maxine Waters Slams Trump’s $TRUMP Gala, Drops ‘Stop Crypto Corruption’ Bill

Ranking member of the financial home committee maxine (D-CA) introduced a new destination scholars in the Crypto Donald Trump sector Waters, democrats unveil corruption corruption of crypto Known as the “Stop’s, withholding market and payments in the 2025″ is of 2025 ” the proposed legislation official prohibits to possess “a proportion of a digital asset allowing the individual for unilaterally…

[yourreddancer]

impervious to financial temptations

impervious to financial temptations

Public Citizen

I don’t need anybody’s money.”As you may recall, that’s what Donald Trump said when he announced his presidential campaign on June 16, 2015. (Yes, we are now a decade into this national nightmare.) He reiterated the idea — that he was already so rich that we would be impervious to financial temptations as president — over and over again.It was clearly never true. And Trump has debased the office of the president to enrich himself and his family to a degree so unprecedented and extreme that it might seem almost comical if it weren’t so nakedly corrupt.

Among the most flagrant grifts are the “meme coins” launched earlier this year by both Trump and his wife, Melania.

For background, “meme coins” are a type of cryptocurrency (digital-only money not backed by any government or bank) that have little to no intrinsic value aside from people simply being willing, or being hoodwinked, into spending money on them. The name originated in connection with internet memes (moderately humorous graphics that go viral online).

The Trump family has reportedly made at least $320 million from fees they “earn” when people trade their various cryptocurrencies.

Indeed, just this week, Trump doubled down on his solicitation for his “meme coin” venture (scam might be a better word), having previously offered tickets to a gala at one of his golf resorts to the 220 biggest “investors.”

Federal law forbids presidents from soliciting gifts. And, since issuing a “meme coin” is not a presidential act, Trump isn’t even covered by the absurd immunity provision the Supreme Court fashioned out of thin air last year.

Public Citizen has called for an investigation into Trump’s seemingly obvious violation of federal law barring the president from soliciting gifts.

We have also highlighted the egregious risk inherent in the fact that since Trump’s “meme coins” can be purchased anonymously, unknown actors — including potentially foreign governments — could, in essence, stuff cash into the president’s pockets.Here’s what one of us (Lisa) told the national media:“As is often the case with this administration, the corruption and scandal is happening out in the open, right in front of our eyes. The question now is what are our elected leaders going to do to stop it? Passing legislation to fight this corruption is a great place to start.”Tell Congress:

Donald Trump is abusing the office of the president to enrich himself and his family, including via assorted crypto ventures and/or scams. Congress must pass legislation to clearly and definitively prohibit presidents, vice presidents, Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, and the immediate family members of those people from issuing so-called digital assets such as “meme coins.”Click to add your name now.

Thanks for taking action.For progress,- Lisa Gilbert & Robert Weissman, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen

[elmalo8291]

Title: "Audit Season: Miami Vice & Vice Versa"

Episode 1: “C.R.E.A.M. (Coconuts Rule Everything Around Miami)”

Genre: Political Satire x Crime Dramedy x Urban Heatwave Chaos

Setting: Magic City, where neon lights hide corruption better than a preacher’s smile.

Main Characters:

Senator Román “Money Mo” Morales – Greedy, slick-tongued politician from Little Haiti who talks like poetry but pockets like piracy. Think Scarface meets Saul Goodman with a gold pinky ring that reads “GUB’MENT.”

IRS Agent Destiny Figgs – Single mom from Opa-locka, ex-stripper turned tax investigator with a grudge and a Glock. Her stilettos say fashion, but her audits say vengeance.

Detective Pierre “Papi Pressure” Baptiste – From the “Vice Vice Unit,” responsible for investigating crimes committed by politicians too powerful to arrest… officially. Haitian roots, silk shirts, a badge, and a philosophy degree.

RICO the Parrot – Senator Morales’s foul-mouthed pet who might be a federal witness wearing feathers.

Episode Breakdown (Miami Heat & Greed Style):

Cold Open:

Palm trees sway. Reggaeton thumps. Senator Morales is at a rooftop fundraiser labeled “Clean Water for Our Children.” But instead of handing out scholarships, he’s receiving hush money in coconut water bottles laced with laundered crypto.

Senator Morales (on mic):

"Listen—I don't take bribes. I accept... optimistic donations from grateful citizens who believe in vision. Mine just happens to be printed in offshore ink."

IRS Agent Figgs:

"Wanna know how to catch a rat in Miami? You follow the trail of cologne, car washes, and fake charities. And when you get close—he throws a gala."

Mid-Episode Scene:

Figgs rolls up to the IRS office bumpin' Trick Daddy, dropping files like mixtapes. Morales’s latest tax filings are as suspicious as a judge at a pool party in Hialeah.

She leans in to her partner:

Figgs:

"He claimed a dolphin as a dependent and tried to write off a yacht as a mobile homeless shelter. Either he’s Jesus or just another Magic City magician."

Meanwhile, Morales and RICO the Parrot are cruising Biscayne Bay:

RICO:

"Tax this, b****! Squawk!"

Morales:

"Relax, RICO—nobody audits during carnival season."

Climax:

Detective Papi Pressure interrupts a live-streamed yacht orgy fundraiser. Morales is mid-toast when a drone (with IRS stickers) delivers a summons wrapped in pastelitos.

Papi Pressure:

"Senator Morales, you are under investigation for racketeering, money laundering, tax fraud, misuse of public funds, and wearing knockoff Versace to a real scandal."

Morales:

"That’s politics, papi."

Episode Ends with:

Figgs sipping cafecito, staring out over the skyline.

Figgs (to camera):

"You can take their cars. Freeze their accounts. But if you wanna break a Miami politician?

Audit their ego."

Wanna drop Episode 2 in Tallahassee with lobbyists and hoodoo accountants? Or fly Morales to D.C. and go global? I got the whole season lined up. Say the word.