According to the New York Times, two Democratic senators from the United States have demanded an investigation into whether some members of the Trump administration violated ethics rules in multi-billion dollar deals with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Elissa Slotkin wrote in a letter to the interim inspectors general of the Commerce and State Departments, as well as the Office of Government Ethics, that the transactions in question paint a “deeply concerning” picture.
One of the transactions under investigation involves a plan by the UAE to import US-made chips designed for artificial intelligence, and the other involves a company backed by the UAE government funneling $2 billion into a cryptocurrency company founded by the Trump family and the family of former advisor Steve Witkoff.
According to the report, Witkoff moved to the White House after serving at the State Department for the first six months of this year.
Democratic senators argue that these relationships blur the line between public duty and private interests and pose a serious risk of conflict of interest.
*This is not investment advice.