Madison Cawthorn Fined $15,000 For Plugging Let’s Go Brandon Cryptocurrency

A House Ethics Committee investigation discovered “substantial proof” that outgoing Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) improperly promoted a cryptocurrency by which he had an undisclosed stake and did not file well timed disclosures about his trades, in line with findings printed Tuesday.

The panel ordered Cawthorn to pay $14,000 in ill-gotten good points to a charity of his selecting and $1,000 in late submitting charges to the Treasury Division.

In December 2021, Cawthorn purchased 180 billion Let’s Go Brandon Coin for $150,000, at a below-market valuation, in line with the committee’s report. 9 days later, the cryptocurrency introduced that it could sponsor NASCAR driver Brandon Brown for the 2020 season, causing the price to spike. The next day, Cawthorn bought a batch of his LGB Coin. On Jan. 4, NASCAR pulled the plug on the deal, and Cawthorn bought extra of his stake. Two weeks later, Cawthorn made one other sale, emptying out nearly all his LGB Coin holdings. Whereas Cawthorn didn’t disclose his purchases or gross sales till after the ethics committee started its investigation, he “was seen in a number of images and movies by which he appeared to assist or particularly inspired people to buy LGB Coin, together with after the worth of the LGB Coin that he held plummeted,” the report stated.

The committee discovered that Cawthorn obtained an improper reward, improperly plugged the crypto and did not disclose his funding in a well timed method. It was deadlocked on the query of whether or not he meant to revenue from his promotional actions.

Cawthorn additionally had been accused of participating in an improper relationship with a member of his congressional employees. The ethics committee’s investigation discovered no proof that had been the case. Any “sexually-themed or in any other case inappropriate feedback or conduct came about” earlier than Cawthorn was sworn in, making it past the panel’s jurisdiction, in line with its report. Accusations of nepotism additionally have been dismissed.

Forbes was unable to achieve spokespeople for Cawthorn. The congressman vacated his places of work two months earlier than the top of his time period, in line with a report in the Asheville Citizen Times.