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Elizabeth Warren Probing Whether Trump’s AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks Broke Ethics Rules

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In brief

  • Elizabeth Warren and other liberal lawmakers questioned AI and crypto czar David Sacks on whether he has exceeded his 130-day limit as a temporary White House employee, raising ethics concerns.
  • The lawmakers want a full record of Sacks’ workdays and locations since January, noting his dual role at the White House and at his AI- and crypto-focused venture firm.
  • The inquiry follows a New York Times investigation linking the Trump family’s crypto platform to a UAE AI chip deal that Sacks reportedly helped finalize.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and other prominent liberal lawmakers have turned up the heat on White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks, pressing the Trump administration official Wednesday on whether he has overstayed his temporary post and violated ethics rules.

In a letter sent to Sacks Wednesday morning and shared with Decrypt, Warren noted that as a Special Government Employee, the crypto czar is permitted to work in his position for only 130 days per year. 

“Any effort to stay beyond the time limits imposed on you as a Special Government Employee (SGE) would raise additional ethics concerns for you and the Trump Administration, particularly as it moves to implement recently enacted cryptocurrency legislation and put in place new rules for the crypto industry,” Warren wrote.



The letter was also signed by prominent lawmakers including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). 

Warren has requested Sacks to, within the next two weeks, provide the lawmakers with a list of days he has worked in any capacity for the Trump administration since his appointment in January, plus further details on where he has conducted said business, including in Silicon Valley. 

The White House did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.

As a Special Government Employee, Sacks was permitted to remain at Craft Ventures—his Silicon Valley venture firm, which invests heavily in AI and crypto companies—even as he has continued to play a critical role in shaping the White House’s AI and crypto policy. 

That allowance is specifically granted only to temporary White House employees. Earlier this year, Elon Musk used a similar exception to continue operating his numerous businesses while running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Sacks has split his time between Silicon Valley and Washington D.C. since joining the Trump administration and has scrupulously used his working days so as to extend the period of his White House tenure, sources familiar with the matter told Decrypt. 

Warren’s inquiry comes days after the New York Times published an investigation linking the business dealings of the Trump family’s crypto platform, World Liberty Financial, to a recent lucrative agreement reached between the U.S. government and the UAE regarding AI chips. Sacks played a crucial role in getting the chip deal over the finish line, according to the report.

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What happens to Ed and Lorraine Warren? The Conjuring: Last Rites ending explained

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The Conjuring: Last Rites is the final movie in the billion dollar franchise, and this is what happens when Ed and Lorraine encounter the Smurl haunting, plus how the Warrens ultimately bow out.

The first Conjuring movie hit screens in 2013, and quickly became a horror phenomenon, grossing $300 million more than its budget.

Sequels The Conjuring 2 and The Devil Made Me Do It followed, as did spinoffs concerning Annabelle and The Nun, and between them the movies have grossed more than $2 billion.

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That number is set to rise with The Conjuring: Last Rites now in cinemas, and below you’ll find out how the story – and the series – ends. Meaning SPOILERS ahead…

Ed and Lorraine investigate the Smurl haunting

Warner Bros.

Loosely based on a true story, The Conjuring: Last Rites sees Ed and Lorraine Warren following their daughter Judy and future son-in-law Tommy to West Pittson, Pennsylvania, where a family called the Smurls are being haunted by a malevolent spirit that arrived in a mirror.

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Lorraine’s paranormal abilities means she soon figures out what’s up, and explains that the Smurl house sits on farmland where a shocking drama once unfolded.

It revolved around a “wild, tormented woman,” who had an affair that drove her husband insane. He went after his betrothed with a shotgun, she hid in a basement with her mother-in-law, and he found and killed them both.

But Lorraine also reveals that the three spirts are just a facade, and something even more evil is at work, and has an ulterior motive…

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How the ending of Conjuring: Last Rites circles back to the start

Warner Bros.

That’s because the real evil was encountered by the Warrens at the start of their careers, in a scene that we witness at the beginning of the movie.

Said spirit attacks pregnant Lorraine through a mirror – the same mirror – resulting in her having a premature birth, and daughter Judy only just surviving the ordeal.

But the evil wasn’t done with the Warrens, and it’s now after Judy via the Smurl haunting, and even briefly takes possession of her during the finale.

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The mirror then floats and spins, and Ed seems to cast the “ugly spirit” out, but it’s a false victory, and the malevolent force comes back even harder, quickly incapacitating Tommy.

“Don’t run” is the theme of the movie, so Ed, Lorraine, and Judy stay put to face their demon, placing their hands on the mirror in unison. They then face twisted reflections of themselves – as well as the spirit itself – but ultimately win the war, and cast the evil out for good in a hail of glass.

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Then via words onscreen, we learn that the Smurls remained in the house for another three years, and that the haunting experience made them stronger as a family.

Saying goodbye to the Warrens

Warner Bros.

With the horror over, Last Rites ends by wrapping up the story of the Warrens. Ed and Lorraine take the mirror home, and lock it up in their terrifying trophy room. Ed gives Tommy the keys, says “welcome to the family,” and Tommy shuts and locks the door behind him.

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The film then cuts to Judy and Tommy’s wedding, where eagle-eyed fans should be able to spot characters that the Warrens helped in previous movies, as well as Conjuring mastermind James Wan.

During the reception, the Warrens dance to ‘Comfort You’ by Van Morrison, as Lorraine tells Ed about the vision she’s seen of their future, which involves becoming grandparents, writing a book to pass their knowledge onto future generations, having more adventures, and helping lots more people.

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It’s a future that’s filled with warmth and comfort and love, to which Ed responds “that sounds just about right.”

The movie concludes with more words onscreen, revealing that Ed had a stroke when he was 74, and Lorraine became his caregiver for the last five years of his life, while she herself died at the age of 92.

It also says that while their work was sometimes ridiculed, it nevertheless brought paranormal research into the mainstream. Over the end credits, we then see photos and footage of the real-life couple, appearing on chat shows and in the news, and helping those in paranormal need.

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The Conjuring: Last Rites is in cinemas now, while for more scary stuff, check out our list of the best horror movies ever.



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Elizabeth Warren Slams Trump’s WLFI Venture as ‘Corruption’
Crypto Trends

Elizabeth Warren Slams Trump’s WLFI Venture as ‘Corruption’

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Senator Elizabeth Warren has continued her ongoing criticism of Donald Trump, expressing her disdain over the family’s crypto activities.

Summary

  • Elizabeth Warren calls Trump’s WLFI venture “corruption” in response to his family’s crypto fortune of $5 billion.
  • WLFI’s price has continued to fluctuate, with the market cap currently at $5.61 billion.
  • Warren recently criticized the current crypto regulations, calling them ineffective and accusing them of benefiting Trump’s business interests.

Democrat member and representative of the state of Massachusetts, Senator Elizabeth Warren, has criticized the Trump family’s involvement in the newly launched World Liberty Financial (WLFI) token. In a September 2 X post, Warren slammed the venture, describing it as “corruption, plain and simple.”

The latest comment from Warren follows the recent trading debut of WLFI, a Trump-backed cryptocurrency, which briefly pushed the family’s stake including more than 22 billion tokens held through DT Marks DEFI LLC to a paper value of over $5 billion. This marked the biggest single-day jump in the family’s fortune and at its peak, made WLFI the family’s most valuable asset, surpassing even their long-standing real estate portfolio.

However, the multi-billion-dollar valuation is not entirely real money, as it is based on WLFI’s price surge from at launch to $0.46. The figure has also since dropped due to the token’s volatile price movement. Despite an initial surge on Monday, WLFI has been struggling in the past two days, as buying pressure faded and the market showed increasing signs of sell-offs, pushing its value to a low of $0.20.

While it briefly climbed to $0.24 on Tuesday, the token could not hold the upward trend, and the price soon dipped again. At the time of writing, WLFI trades at $0.22, a 5% drop on the day, with its market cap hovering around $5.61 billion.

Elizabeth Warren’s continued criticism of Trump’s crypto ventures

This is not the first time Senator Warren has expressed concerns about Trump’s crypto-related ventures. She has long been a vocal critic of crypto and has consistently criticized Trump’s involvement in the industry. Warren previously raised alarms over proposed crypto regulations like the GENIUS stablecoin act and the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, calling them too lenient.

“We need strong crypto regulation, not an industry giveaway that puts our economy at risk and supercharges President Trump’s corruption,” Warren said in an earlier statement. She emphasized the need for robust regulation and went so far as to call for bans on elected officials from trading or engaging in crypto businesses, citing Trump’s ties to the industry.

Meanwhile, Warren’s criticism is not just focused on WLFI but the broader influence of crypto on U.S. politics. She warned that ineffective regulations would allow politicians, like Trump, to profit off their industry connections, resulting in conflicts of interest that could distort the market.

The senator is not the only one to express concerns regarding Trump’s involvement in crypto. Her sentiments have been shared by other influential figures, who also warn that his dual roles in politics and crypto-related ventures could manipulate the market.

However, the White House has dismissed these concerns, noting that the president’s business ventures and political activities are separate, and that no conflicts of interest are present.



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Senator Tim Scott courts Democrats for crypto bill as Warren rallies opposition
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Senator Tim Scott courts Democrats for crypto bill as Warren rallies opposition

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By putting a number on his expected Democratic support, Senator Scott appears to be applying pressure and cracking a public whip count that might force hesitant senators to declare their position, turning a policy debate into a political test of loyalty and vision.

Summary

  • Senator Tim Scott predicts 12 to 18 Democrats may back the CLARITY Act in September.
  • The bill seeks to establish U.S. crypto market structure and regulatory clarity.
  • Scott identifies Senator Elizabeth Warren as a key obstacle to bipartisan support.

Speaking at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium on August 19, Republican Senator Tim Scott publicly quantified his expected Democratic support for the upcoming CLARITY Act, predicting between 12 to 18 cross-aisle votes.

The Senate Banking Committee Chairman detailed his outreach to Democrats, framing the vote as a necessary step to provide regulatory certainty in the crypto industry and to deliver on President Trump’s stated goal of making the U.S. a global hub for digital finance.

Notably, Scott directly addressed the primary obstacle, naming Senator Elizabeth Warren as the central “force to overcome” for Democrats who might otherwise be inclined to support the market structure legislation.

Warren’s objections and the politics of crypto regulation

The Senate’s draft bill, which builds upon the House’s CLARITY Act, seeks to clarify how the SEC and CFTC divide oversight and provide legal certainty for exchanges and token issuers.

For its backers, the bill represents a long overdue modernization of financial rules to accommodate crypto, a sector that has grown far faster than regulators’ ability to police it. Scott and other Republicans argue that without a comprehensive structure, innovation will drift overseas, leaving American markets behind.

Warren, the Banking Committee’s top Democrat, has cast the bill in starkly different terms. She has lambasted the Republican draft as an “industry handout,” arguing it creates a bespoke regulatory regime with weaker consumer protections and lighter compliance burdens than those mandated for traditional banks and financial institutions.

The Senator’s central critique is that the bill, shaped significantly by industry input, prioritizes the wishes of the crypto lobby over the financial safety of everyday Americans, potentially exposing the economy to systemic risks. She ties this to a broader narrative of corruption, highlighting the potential for conflicts of interest.

The political elephant in the room

Senator Elizabeth Warren’s line of criticism dovetails with a potent political attack from Democrats focused on President Trump’s business interests. They point to the estimated $620 million in profits his family has reportedly garnered from various crypto ventures, including DeFi projects and memecoins, as evidence that the administration’s pro-innovation stance is less about national policy and more about personal enrichment.

This framing appears to taint the entire legislative effort, making support for the bill politically toxic for Democrats by associating it with the President’s private financial gains.

Despite this formidable hurdle, Scott’s optimism is fueled by more than just hope. It is rooted in the unprecedented alignment of a crypto-friendly executive branch. He is counting on the Trump administration to act as a powerful ally, both in lobbying hesitant legislators and in preparing the regulatory machinery for a swift implementation should the bill pass.

“We now have a team that’s leaning in and we feel like we have to get it done now. Executive action is not enough – period. If one president hated it, this one loves it, we need a Senate and a House that gets legislation passed,” Scott said in a statement.

What is at stake in September is nothing less than the immediate future of the American digital asset industry. Senator Scott’s self-imposed end-of-month deadline for committee action is a critical test of his political capital and his ability to forge a working coalition. 



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