Trump crypto venture partners with platform linked to Middle East militants

A crypto venture recently unveiled by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his new Middle East envoy, billionaire Steve Witkoff, has partnered with a crypto platform that authorities and financial experts say has been used by criminals and Iran-backed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. Her concerns include the significant size of Tron’s investment in World Liberty, whether Trump could benefit financially from it, and the alleged use of Tron by militants including Hamas and Hezbollah. Spokespeople for Trump and his transition team did not directly respond to questions about Trump’s financial ties to World Liberty, the Tron investment, and potential conflicts. Trump is listed as “chief crypto advocate" on World Liberty’s website and is entitled to a cut of its revenues, according to the company’s terms and conditions. If foreign governments or sovereign wealth funds were to invest in World Liberty, that could place Witkoff and Trump in violation of the U.S. Constitution's "emoluments" clause, designed to thwart corruption and improper influence on government, said Larry Noble, a professor at American University and former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission.