Senator Warns of 'Potentially Criminal Conduct' Over UAE-World Liberty Financial Deal

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) warned Monday that those involved in alleged secret payments from a UAE investor could face jail time, describing the situation as "potentially criminal conduct" tied to the transfer of sensitive defense technology following a deal involving Trump-linked crypto firm World Liberty Financial.

"A UAE investor secretly gave Trump $187 million and his top Middle East envoy $31 million. And then Trump gave that investor access to sensitive defense technology that broke decades of national security precedent," Murphy tweeted. "Brazen, open corruption. And we shouldn't pretend it's normal."

The allegations stem from a deal in which Aryam Investment, a UAE-backed entity tied to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, agreed to purchase a 49% stake in Trump-linked crypto firm World Liberty Financial for $500 million just four days before Trump's inauguration, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Per the WSJ’s reporting, roughly $187 million was directed to Trump family entities and at least $31 million to entities affiliated with the family of special envoy Steve Witkoff.

The deal preceded the Trump administration's approval of expanded UAE access to advanced U.S. AI chips that had been restricted under the Biden administration.

Witkoff and Trump are listed as co-founders emeritus of World Liberty Financial, the DeFi firm behind the USD1 stablecoin. The firm asserts that Trump and his family members do not hold any role as “director, officer or employee” of the firm.

“That is corruption”

The controversy comes amid ongoing concerns about potential conflicts of interest between Trump's crypto ventures and national security policy decisions.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Murphy summarized the alleged sequence as covert multimillion-dollar transfers to Trump-linked and envoy-linked families, followed by the sharing of restricted U.S. security technology with the UAE.

"That is corruption. Those are the elements of a bribe. This is potentially criminal conduct,” he said.

He warned that accountability may be delayed under the current government, but insisted consequences are inevitable, saying “the rule of law is coming back” and that those who traded official favors for money “are going to jail.”

Democrats demand testimony

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, previously told Decrypt the situation represents "corruption, plain and simple," demanding the Trump administration reverse its decision to sell sensitive AI chips to the UAE.

"Trump gets $500 million in cash then approves deal sending advanced AI chips to UAE. Blatant corruption. He gets richer every day. You get poorer. That's his presidency,” Congressman Greg Landsman tweeted Monday.

Since last year, Warren has been continuously warning about the Trump family's crypto ties to the UAE, urging the Senate not to pass the Genius Act to facilitate “corruption” tied to a “shady” $2 billion investment by Emirati firm MGX into Binance that would use USD1 as settlement currency.

The White House and World Liberty Financial did not immediately respond to requests for comment.