OCC Chief: Only Democrats Pressing Me on Trump Charter

Jonathan Gould, comptroller of the currency, told the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday that only Democratic lawmakers had pressured him over World Liberty Financial’s application for a national trust charter and that he had not received political direction from the White House.

Representative Gregory Meeks pressed Gould about the application, submitted in January by World Liberty, a crypto firm co‑founded by former President Donald Trump and two of his sons. Meeks raised concerns about reported links to foreign governments and to the Binance exchange and argued the charter request presents potential conflicts because of the Trump family connection.

Meeks accused the comptroller of acting as “Trump’s fixer” and said World Liberty “actively lines the pockets of the president’s family.” Gould replied, “Your attempts to continue to pressure me are the only political pressure I’ve felt from anyone other than your Senate colleagues.” The exchange featured overlapping interruptions as the two lawmakers debated the OCC’s independence.

Gould, confirmed by the Senate in July 2025 by a party‑line vote, repeated that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency would handle the application in an apolitical and nonpartisan way. The OCC has approved or granted conditional agreements for national trust charters to crypto firms including Coinbase, Ripple, BitGo, Circle, Fidelity Digital Assets and Paxos. The parent company of the Kraken exchange, Payward, filed an OCC application in May.

Senator Elizabeth Warren asked the OCC to pause review of World Liberty’s application and criticized recent charter approvals as granted to “seemingly ineligible companies,” arguing they violate federal banking laws. Lawmakers and consumer advocates have urged that the OCC apply the same standards to this application as to others.

The hearing took place as Congress advances broader legislation on digital assets. A bill known as the CLARITY Act has moved through two key committees and is expected to reach the Senate floor. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers the administration aims for passage later this summer, and some senators expect a vote before August.

At the hearing Gould defended the OCC’s review process, saying the agency evaluates charter applications under existing law and regulatory standards rather than political considerations. Committee members pressed for assurances that any review would address potential conflicts of interest and comply with federal banking statutes.