US crypto tsar David Sacks denies overstaying his job amid Warren scrutiny

A spokesperson for US AI and crypto czar David Sacks has refuted the idea that he may have breached his 130-day limit as a Special Government Employee, following scrutiny from several US lawmakers.

The spokesperson for Sacks told CNBC on Wednesday that he carefully manages his SGE days to ensure that he stays under the limit and that those days don’t have to be in a row.

It comes after Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and other US lawmakers questioned whether Sacks exceeded the number of days under his short-term federal appointment

“We are investigating whether you may have exceeded the time limit for serving in your temporary role as the White House’s Special Advisor for AI and Crypto,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Sacks, signed on Wednesday by Warren, four other US senators, and three members of the US Congress.

Sacks has been a staunch advocate for the crypto industry, and his appointment in December 2024 led to excitement within the industry and speculation about how he will manage to push through crypto policies before the 2026 midterm elections.

Lawmakers say Sacks is “deeply invested” in crypto and AI

The group argued that since Sacks serves as a Special Government Employee (SGE) — a role limited to 130 workdays per year — he should disclose how many days he has served since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

As of Wednesday, 167 weekdays excluding US public holidays have elapsed since Trump’s inauguration. To remain within the 130-day limit, Sacks would have needed to take at least 37 days off during that period.

Extract of the letter addressed to David Sacks by the US lawmakers. Source: Elizabeth WarrenSGEs have a 130-day limit to prevent conflict of interest, as SGEs often keep their private-sector jobs while temporarily serving the government. The lawmakers argued it would be in Sack’s best interests to maintain his government role for his own interests:

“Through Craft Ventures and your other holdings, you are deeply invested in the crypto and AI companies that you have the power to impact as the nation’s ‘Crypto and AI Czar.” The White House waived ethics restrictions to allow you to maintain those investments in the industries you regulate.”

Cointelegraph reached out to David Sacks but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Warren has gone after David Sacks before

Earlier this year, Sacks disclosed that he had sold all his crypto before Trump’s inauguration.

However, Warren had earlier questioned Sacks over those claims too, asking him on March 6 to back up his claims that he no longer holds digital assets.

Related: Top US Democrat signals fight over crypto market structure

In a letter to Sacks, Warren suggested Trump and “other private individuals” would directly benefit from the executive branch’s digital asset policies

She expressed concerns about Sacks’ potential conflicts of interest, requesting that he make any financial disclosures with the Office of Government Ethics public and provide information about his purported status as a “special government employee.”

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