Senator Blumenthal Demands Records Over Lobbying Ties to Ex White House Adviser

Senator Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has asked Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino to hand over documents about a reported $6.3 million agreement with Nxum, a marketing firm co founded by former White House crypto adviser Bo Hines. His Thursday letter asks for contracts, payments, communications and lobbying records.

What Blumenthal Alleges About Tether and Nxum

The senator says Hines never sold his one third stake in Nxum and worked with the firm over encrypted messaging apps to pressure lawmakers who opposed or wanted changes to the GENIUS Act, the stablecoin bill. He also claims messages show Ardoino urging Nxum to obliterate the bill’s critics. Blumenthal calls the arrangement a serious ethical and legal concern.

Hines and Jung Move From Government to Crypto Firms

Hines led the President’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets from January to August 2025, then joined Tether as a strategic adviser and later became CEO of Tether US. Fellow adviser Harry Jung left government in July 2026 and joined Nxum in August.

Midterm Elections Could Raise the Stakes

Trump disclosed earning $1.4 billion from crypto related investments in 2025. If Democrats win control of Congress, they would gain stronger investigative power. Prediction markets give them a 92% chance of taking the House and 68% for the Senate, with Election Day on November 3.