A former White House ethics lawyer says federal conflict-of-interest rules would bar other officials from taking actions similar to those tied to President Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency earnings—while the White House insists there are no financial conflicts.
On May 22, 2025, President Donald Trump left the White House and headed to his Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, where he held a dinner for top investors tied to his $TRUMP cryptocurrency.
The stop came as new financial figures were laid out in a 927-page disclosure report filed with the Office of Government Ethics. The report says Trump and his family earned more than $1 billion last year through cryptocurrency ventures and other businesses.
One part of that haul, the disclosure shows, includes more than $500 million from the cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial, which is co-founded by Trump family members. The document also lists more than $600 million generated from Trump-branded meme coin sales.
The disclosure does not stop at crypto. It also describes more than $50 million from media settlements and millions more from Trump-branded products, including Bibles, sneakers and watches.
The White House has pushed back hard on any suggestion of financial conflict. Spokesperson Anna Kelly denied conflicts of interest and praised the president for making the U.S. “the crypto capital of the world.” Trump himself has said outside institutions manage his investments and that he does not speak with them.
But Richard Painter. a former White House ethics lawyer. argues that federal conflict-of-interest laws would still block comparable conduct by other executive branch officials. Speaking with Morning Edition. Painter said those rules would prohibit others from taking similar actions. and he added that Trump “stands alone in having such substantial financial conflicts of interest” as president.
Painter’s warning landed as he also discussed the ethics questions surrounding Trump’s cryptocurrency earnings, how presidents have traditionally handled their financial holdings, and the role blind trusts are meant to play in preventing conflicts.
For now, the White House insists the arrangements are compliant, pointing to independent management of investments. The ethics concern is centered on something more basic: whether the president’s financial upside tied to widely marketed cryptocurrency ventures and Trump-branded crypto products creates a level of entanglement that conflict-of-interest rules were built to avoid.
Trump crypto conflict of interest Office of Government Ethics World Liberty Financial meme coins ethics lawyer Richard Painter Anna Kelly blind trusts
So basically they’re saying he can’t do his own thing with crypto? Ok.
I don’t get it, like if a “blind trust” is a thing then how is it still a conflict. They keep saying it’s compliant but then lawyers keep yelling conflict. Sounds like politics with extra steps.
Rich Painter said other officials would be barred, but doesn’t that just mean nobody else can touch crypto? Because last I checked the whole point is they can still invest, right? Also $TRUMP meme coins like… are they even real money or just hype? Kinda seems blown up.
This whole crypto dinner thing sounds shady. Like he leaves and then has investors tied to his coin, then the ethics report is like 927 pages (lol) and suddenly everyone’s shocked. I saw Anna Kelly say there’s no conflict but of course she would, she works there. And blind trusts aren’t “blind” if everybody’s still acting like they’re in on it. Meanwhile he’s making a billion and we’re all supposed to just accept it’s fine.