Donald Trump Jr. finds himself at the center of a new offensive in the US Senate. Republican John Curtis, elected from Utah, asks the Judiciary Committee to investigate the possible use of family ties to the presidency for financial purposes. He also wants Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden subpoenaed. For Donald Trump’s son, the senator cites in particular his activities in crypto, his links with predictive markets and certain advantages received from foreign personalities. At this stage, this is a request for an investigation, not a conclusion about possible violations.
In brief
- Republican Senator John Curtis calls for an investigation into Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden.
- He cites in particular Donald Trump Jr.’s promotion of crypto projects supported by his family.
- Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, supports Curtis’ request.
Crypto: John Curtis demands that Donald Trump Jr. testify
The approach this time comes from a Republican. For several months, the Trump family’s crypto activities were mainly contested by elected Democrats. John Curtis wrote to the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley, as well as to the Democrat Dick Durbin. He asks them to examine whether members of presidential families have used their proximity to power to obtain financial advantages, privileged access or preferential treatment.
The senator wants to hear Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden under subpoena. In the case of the president’s son, Curtis mentions his active promotion of cryptocurrency projects supported by the Trump family. He also cites his financial interests and his functions as an advisor to predictive market platforms subject to the supervision of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The letter also mentions a gift linked to the wedding of Donald Trump Jr., offered by Umar Kremlev, Russian businessman. Donald Trump had declared the previous week that his son had repaid this gift.
The Trump family’s crypto activities come back into the spotlight
Curtis’ request comes after several months of controversy surrounding the Trump family’s financial interests in digital assets.
World Liberty Financial regularly finds itself in the middle of these debates. Earlier this year, Democratic senators notably called for review of a $500 million UAE-linked investment in the company.
Curtis does not, however, present his letter as an investigation solely devoted to crypto. He calls for the same scrutiny regarding Hunter Biden, whose business activities with foreign companies have been the subject of numerous investigations in Congress. Hunter Biden has denied involving his father in his affairs. Joe Biden granted him a pardon in December 2024 covering certain offenses committed or potentially committed during the previous decade.
Curtis explains want to apply the same rule to Democratic and Republican families.
Dick Durbin has already responded favorably to this request. On September 22, he said he would support Curtis’ petition to the Judiciary Committee. Durbin also recalled that Hunter Biden had already testified under oath before Congress, unlike Donald Trump Jr. on the facts discussed today. A request supported by both camps, however, does not mean that a subpoena has already been issued.
The case comes just after the failure of the CLARITY Act
The timing is special for the American crypto sector. A week before Curtis’ letter, the Senate had failed to advance the CLARITY Act, the major text intended to establish a federal framework for the digital asset market. The motion received 49 votes for and 50 against, while 60 were needed to move to the next stage.
Donald Trump’s crypto interests were among the topics discussed during the negotiations. The president had agreed to some additional ethics provisions before the vote, but several Democrats considered them insufficient. Tremplin.io detailed the failure of the CLARITY Act in the Senate and the disagreements that accompanied the vote. Curtis’ letter now brings Donald Trump Jr. directly into this debate. She does not accuse him of having committed a specific offense. The senator instead asks Congress to establish the facts and determine whether current rules on ethics, transparency or the fight against corruption are sufficient.
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