Senate Democrats ask DOJ to investigate Binance statements to lawmakers
SEC on Monday accused Binance and CEO Changpeng Zhao of operating a 'web of deception'
Kevin O'Leary: Binance is facing 'really serious' charges
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Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen are asking the Justice Department to investigate crypto exchange Binance Holdings over whether it made false statements to U.S. lawmakers about its business practices.
"This is a serious matter," Warren, D-Mass., and Van Hollen, D-Md., wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday.
In March, Warren, Van Hollen and Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall requested information on the relationship between Binance and Binance.US, including a range of financial data.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during a Senate Finance Committee on the nomination of Chris Magnus to be the next U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner on Oct. 19, 2021, in Washington, D.C. | Getty Images
Binance responded at the time saying the two companies were "separate entities" and compliance was a priority. While providing limited financial data, Binance Chief Strategy Officer Patrick Hillmann signed off on the company’s 14-page response to the March investigation.
The Thursday letter detailed how the cryptocurrency exchange may have made false statements, including whether its American affiliate, Binance.US, was indeed a separate entity.
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"It appears that Binance and Binance.US undermined this important investigation and the legislative process by providing false and misleading information to Congress," Warren and Van Hollen wrote in the letter.
In a 136-page complaint filed in federal court on Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accused Binance and the company’s CEO, Changpeng Zhao, of operating a "web of deception."
With its 13 total charges, the SEC complaint accused Binance Holdings, Zhao, BAM Trading and BAM Management US Holdings of committing breaches of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, two U.S. laws pertaining to securities.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao attends the Viva Technology conference at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris June 16, 2022. (Reuters/Benoit Tessier / Reuters Photos)
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The Justice Department declined to comment. Binance did not respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.