TL;DR
- Ro Khanna launched a probe into WLFI and requested documents from co-founder Zach Witkoff over a $500 million UAE investment.
- The letter cites Aryam Investment 1 buying 49% of WLFI, with a $250 million payment and $187 million going to Trump entities.
- Khanna set March 1, 2026 for 16 answers, citing emoluments and security concerns tied to MGX, G42, chip licenses, and a $2 billion Binance deal using USD1.
A House Democrat has opened a probe into World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a Donald Trump linked crypto project, after reports of a $500 million investment tied to the United Arab Emirates royal family. Rep. Ro Khanna is demanding transparency on whether foreign money is shaping U.S. decision making. Khanna, ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, sent a letter to WLFI co-founder Zach Witkoff seeking information and documents. He warned the ties could pose national security risks involving Chinese interests.
Deal details and China linked national security concerns
The inquiry cites a Wall Street Journal report that Aryam Investment 1, controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, acquired a 49% stake in WLFI. Khanna’s letter frames the UAE backed deal as a potential conduit for undisclosed influence. According to the report, the agreement was signed four days before Trump’s inauguration and included an upfront payment of $250 million. The letter says $187 million was directed to Trump family entities and at least $31 million went to entities affiliated with Steve Witkoff, the president’s special envoy to the Middle East.
Khanna argues the investment may intersect with U.S. policy moves meant to block advanced AI semiconductor technology from reaching China. The letter spotlights a timeline linking WLFI financing, UAE entities, and export decisions. Sheikh Tahnoon oversees firms including G42 and MGX, which the letter says have alleged ties to Chinese companies. It notes U.S. approval of export licenses in November 2025 for chips to G42 and support for an AI data center project in the UAE. Khanna also cites MGX’s $2 billion Binance investment using WLFI’s USD1 stablecoin in March 2025.
The letter says the MGX Binance investment coincided with Sheikh Tahnoon’s visit and notes Binance founder Changpeng Zhao received a pardon in October 2025, one month before the chip export approvals. Khanna is treating the episode as a governance and national security stress test, not routine oversight. He raises emoluments clause concerns and asks WLFI to answer 16 questions by March 1, 2026. He seeks transaction and ownership details, due diligence on UAE entities, any involvement in policy discussions, and revenues from Chinese sources, plus agreements, capitalization tables, and communications on the Binance deal.
