President Trump’s Crypto Adviser Under Scrutiny Over Employment Status
President Donald Trump’s top adviser on crypto, David Sacks, is currently serving as a “special government employee,” a status typically reserved for officials fulfilling an important but temporary duty within the federal government. However, concerns have been raised by Senator Elizabeth Warren and other Democrats in Congress regarding whether Sacks has exceeded the allowable time limit for this designation.
According to the law, a special government employee is restricted from serving more than 130 days in a year. In a letter addressed to Sacks, Warren and her colleagues have requested clarification on the number of days Sacks has worked for the Trump administration in his capacity as the crypto and artificial intelligence czar. Any day of work, regardless of duration, counts towards the 130-day limit, although some agencies may base the limit on a “good faith” estimate of service duration.
The letter states, “If you have worked every business day, your 130th day was July 25, 2025.” The lawmakers are conducting an “investigation” into Sacks’ timeline of service since the start of the administration on January 20.
Should Sacks have exceeded the 130-day mark, Warren and her colleagues argue that he is undermining the purpose of the SGE designation and potentially exploiting the system for financial gain. This designation has allowed Sacks to continue working for Craft Ventures while serving in the government.
President Trump has utilized the temporary employment status for other high-profile individuals, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk. This mechanism aims to bring specialized expertise into the government without the usual bureaucratic hurdles of traditional hiring processes. Warren has previously introduced legislation to limit the use of SGEs for personal gain.
Since Trump’s inauguration, there have been over 170 business days, during which Sacks has spearheaded the administration’s pro-crypto initiatives. Notably, he played a key role in the enactment of a new law regulating U.S. stablecoin issuers, a milestone that was commemorated with a signing ceremony at the White House.
In addition to his duties as the administration’s crypto adviser, Sacks oversees the President’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, following the departure of Bo Hines. Patrick Witt has since assumed the role of executive director and continues to collaborate closely with Sacks.