The government think tank has urged the Department of Justice and the U.S. Government Ethics Office to investigate whether former President Donald Trump violated federal laws prohibiting government officials from soliciting gifts.
The complaint, filed by the public on February 5th, centers around the promotion of Trump’s official Trump Memocoin (Trump), which was released last month.
Ethics Concerns
A group letter to John Keller, chief of the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section and David Huitema, director of the Government Ethics Bureau, said that Trump’s meme marketing is illegal gifts under 18 USC §201 and 5 CFR§. They claim that it could constitute a solicitation. 2635.
“Federal law strictly regulates payments to government officials, including gifts. The president may receive gifts, but he may not solicit them.”
Public citizens argued that Trump’s promotion after it began in January constituted an illegal solicitation of gifts because it does not provide concrete products or investment opportunities in return for payments received.
According to the website, the memes are primarily owned by CIC Digital LLC, an affiliate of the Trump organization, and are fully controlled by Donald J. Trump’s revocable trust.
Following its July 13, 2024 assassination attempt, the site describes the meme as a celebration of Trump’s resilience, characterizing the assets as “part of history” rather than an investment.
However, civics argue that Memocoin does not constitute a product or service, but constitutes a direct financial benefit to Trump, comparing it to personal contributions rather than traditional purchases.
According to the complaint:
“The person who sends money for Trump memes is not buying a specific product. Instead, the person will only receive a digital receipt, which will send a check and receive a digital confirmation. It’s similar to a donor.”
Foreign influences
Thinktanks also raise concerns that foreign companies may be among those purchasing memes, and could violate the constitution’s emoluments clause, which would result in the federal government not being approved by Congress. It prohibits accepting gifts and payments from foreign governments.
Public citizens argued that if such solicitations are allowed to proceed unchecked, politicians could create precedents for soliciting funds in a way that would circumvent federal ethics laws and campaign finance regulations.
Some crypto analysts and former Trump allies have criticised the initiative. Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci likened it to “Idi Amin level corruption,” and Washington Post columnist dismissed it as “sh-coin.”
Citizens recommend DOJ and OGE to determine whether Trump’s actions violate federal law and, if so, to provide appropriate relief measures, such as stopping the sale of memes or returning funds to buyers. I urged him to do so.
DOJ and OGE have not responded publicly to complaints. The Trump campaign has also not released a statement regarding the allegations.
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