“Under Trump, the SEC isn’t protecting anyone. It’s not regulating. Its cases are being dictated by whoever is paying the president tens of millions of dollars’ worth of crypto bribes.”

“If this isn’t the definition of corruption, then what is?”

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – In a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) slammed Donald Trump over his corrupt crypto venture for personal financial gain and his indirect and improper acceptance of bribes from companies being sued by the SEC who have later had their charges dropped.

The Congresswoman laid out how Trump’s moves are a clear abuse of power over the SEC and blatantly enrich himself and his allies at the expense of everyday American investors.

A transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks, as delivered, is available below, and the full video is available here.

Transcript: Pressley Slams Trump for Corruption, Bribery in Crypto Schemes

House Financial Services Committee

June 4, 2025

REP. PRESSLEY: Now in normal times, a U.S. president trafficking in corruption would be condemned by both Republicans and Democrats. In normal times, the appearance of bribery – even the hint of it – would be universally denounced. 

But these are not normal times. 

In fact, in this season of reverse Robin Hood culture, these are the worst of times.

The Trump family is engaging in mind-boggling levels of corruption – so blatant, so numerous, that we’re overwhelmed and can’t keep up, which is, in fact, the strategy.

Today I want to shed light on, specifically, the crypto bribery scheme happening in plain sight. 

Now, Trump launched World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform where 75% of revenues go straight to the Trump family’s pockets. This has become a pay-to-play corruption game. 

Trump has – Occupant Trump has – zero interest in lowering costs for working families but remains vigilant in his efforts to enrich himself. 

Now, further evidence of this pay-to-play corruption game.

Player one is Justin Sun. In 2023, the SEC sued him and his companies for defrauding investors, manipulating token prices, and secretly paying celebrities to promote tokens without disclosing payments. All of that is illegal.

But after Sun purchased $75 million worth of Trump’s tokens, he was appointed as an advisor to World Liberty Financial and, magically, Trump’s SEC dropped their case against him. 

Maybe that’s just a coincidence. But it sure does look like crypto-bribery. 

Then there’s Binance. The company’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, or CZ, was convicted for failing to prevent terrorists, child abusers, and cybercriminals from using his crypto-exchange. Binance paid a $4 billion fine and the SEC also sued Binance for running an unlicensed exchange. 

Now that would have been a slam dunk case. 

One Binance executive literally messaged another: quote, ‘We are operating as a f—ing unlicensed securities exchange in the USA, bro’ end quote.

I must say, the constituency of ‘bros’ are certainly living their best life in Donald Trump’s America. But I digress. 

But yet again, that case magically disappeared after a $2 billion investment in Binance using Trump’s stable coin. And we’re supposed to think that this is just a coincidence. 

So let me ask a very simple question. I promise you, this is not a ‘gotcha’ question. This is straightforward. So, I’m looking for a straightforward answer. 

Should companies be able to bribe the President of the United States to make SEC lawsuits go away? Yes or no?

And we’ll begin with Mr. Massad and work back. 

MR. TIMOTHY MASSAD: Absolutely not. 

MS. KATHERINE MINARIK: No. Bribery is a crime. 

MR. ROSTIN BEHNAM: No.

MR. VIVEK RAMAN: No.

MR. ELAD ROISMAN: I’m not here to talk about –

REP. PRESSLEY: Let me just – let me say the question again, sir. Again, there’s no gotcha here. This is very straightforward. 

MR. ELAD ROISMAN: Okay.

REP. PRESSLEY: Should companies be able to bribe the President of the United States to make SEC lawsuits go away? Yes or no? 

MR. ELAD ROISMAN: I don’t think anyone should bribe anyone to make lawsuits go away. 

REP. PRESSLEY: Yes or no? 

MR. ELAD ROISMAN: That’s my answer, ma’am.

REP. PRESSLEY: Yes or no? 

MR. ELAD ROISMAN: I think I just answered it.

REP. PRESSLEY: Under Trump, the SEC isn’t protecting anyone. It’s not regulating. Its cases are being dictated by whoever is paying the president tens of millions of dollars’ worth of crypto bribes.

And who pays the price? It’s not the billionaires or the foreign actors cutting deals behind closed doors. It’s the average Americans who use crypto for legitimate reasons, like remittances, who are left unprotected in a rigged system. 

And to be clear, these crypto scams are not simply about Trump and his billionaire friends making money. 

It’s even worse than that. 

It’s about them stealing money from everyone else. 

If this isn’t the definition of corruption, then what is?

I yield back.

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