Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen have called for an investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) into Binance and Binance.US’s previous statements made to Congress. In March 2023, Binance wrote a letter to Congress stating that its global and US companies were separate entities and that Binance.US was highly compliant with regulations.
False Statements
However, Warren and Hollen have alleged that these statements were false. They claim that Binance allowed its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, to assist US customers in evading geographic blocks, as described in the recent charges filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Binance and associated parties. Warren and Hollen believe that Binance’s dishonest response could violate federal law.
Impact on New Laws
The Senators have also stated that Binance and Binance.US’s statements have undermined the process of seeking information for new legislation. The regulators were seeking information that would inform the introduction of new laws, and Binance’s false statements have made it difficult to achieve this aim.
Legal Consequences
Warren and Hollen have called for the DOJ to impose fines and imprisonment on Binance and Binance.US’s executives. However, it is unclear how much action the DOJ can take against those individuals who are not US citizens, including Zhao and many other Binance executives.
In summary, the Senators have called for an investigation into Binance’s false statements to Congress and believe that Binance’s dishonest response could violate federal law. The Senators also claim that Binance’s false statements have undermined the process of seeking information for new legislation. The DOJ may impose fines and imprisonment on Binance and Binance.US’s executives, but there is uncertainty about the extent to which the DOJ can take action against non-US citizens.
Leave a Reply