Overview

• In a Sept. 23 letter, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Elissa Slotkin asked the Commerce and State inspectors general and the Office of Government Ethics to examine possible ethics violations by David Sacks and Steve Witkoff.
• The request centers on a U.S. plan reported in May to allow the United Arab Emirates to import advanced American-designed AI chips alongside a $2 billion Emirati-backed investment in World Liberty Financial.
• Lawmakers say Witkoff advocated for chip exports while his family’s venture tied to World Liberty Financial pursued the Emirati funding, and they question Sacks’s participation in chip discussions given concerns about conflicts.
• Reporting cited by the senators says no explicit quid pro quo has been found, and oversight officials have not announced any investigative findings or enforcement actions.
• Background inquiries include a Sept. 17 letter pressing whether Sacks overstayed a temporary appointment, prior SEC records requests on WLFI, and reports that Sacks received an ethics waiver to take part in chip policy talks.