"Roger Stone, an ally of former President Trump, received a $600,000 payment from 'Bitcoin Jesus,' likely to influence legislative efforts against a potential exit tax."
In Short
- Bitcoin enthusiast Roger Ver, formerly known for distributing Bitcoin in Silicon Valley, has enlisted the help of Republican operative Roger Stone for $600,000 to work his way out of a federal criminal case that could result in life imprisonment.
- Stone, infamous for his Nixon tattoo and referred to as a "dirty trickster", submitted lobbying disclosures in March, indicating he began working for Ver in February to dismantle U.S. tax provisions that underpin the Department of Justice's charges against Ver.
- The focus is on the "exit tax" for Americans renouncing citizenship, which is crucial to the approximate $48 million in unpaid taxes the DOJ claims Ver owes.
- Ver's legal push is aligned with the pro-crypto movement under the Trump administration, with regulatory rollbacks paving the way for clemency petitions and policy reversals.
Scene"Bitcoin Jesus" Roger Ver, known for his street giveaways of Bitcoin, is now pulling out the big bucks in an attempt to escape a federal case that could land him behind bars for life. None other than President Donald Trump's long-standing political advisor, Roger Stone, who's famously sporting a Nixon tattoo, is onboard for the roughly $600,000 gig.
Stone, who filed lobbying disclosures in March, back in February started working for Ver to pressure lawmakers to dismantle the U.S. tax provisions that the Department of Justice (DOJ) accuses Ver of evading. Specifically, Stone is aiming for the so-called "exit tax", which applies to Americans renouncing citizenship, and is key to the $48 million in unpaid taxes the DOJ claims Ver owes.
The Trump PivotVer's legal fight comes at a time when the Trump administration is embracing the crypto world. Industry support and regulatory rollbacks have opened the door to clemency bids and policy shifts under the Trump administration.
Criminal ChargesLast April, the DOJ accused Ver of multiple crimes, including mail fraud, tax evasion, and filing false tax returns. The DOJ alleges Ver submitted misleading information about his crypto assets while preparing to renounce his U.S. citizenship in 2014 and failed to report capital gains of about $240 million earned from selling Bitcoin in 2017.
In June of the same year, Ver was arrested in Spain, later released on €150,000 bail with conditions that he surrender his passport and regularly report to authorities in his fight against extradition to the U.S. In January, Ver tweeted an appeal for his case to be linked to what he described as the "weaponization of justice" under the Biden administration.
Legal StrategyVer's attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the tax laws cited in the indictment are vague, outdated, and provide no clear guidance for early crypto adopters. They have also accused the DOJ of selectively quoting evidence and misrepresenting private communications.
Stone, for his part, insists he hasn't lobbied Trump directly for a pardon. Politically speaking, it's tricky to ignore the subtext, as in December, Stone's website published an essay titled "Why Roger Ver Deserves a Presidential Pardon".
Stone himself is no stranger to legal troubles. In 2019, he was convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Despite being sentenced to 40 months in prison, he never served a day, thanks to Trump's commutation of his sentence in 2020 and later granting a full pardon.
Crypto PardonsThe second term of Trump's presidency has already seen a cascade of pardons for crypto-related figures. In January, Trump granted a full, unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, serving two life sentences plus 40 years. Trump called the sentence "ridiculous" and labeled Ulbricht a victim of the same "lunatics" targeting him.
In March, Trump pardoned BitMEX co-founders Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, and Samuel Reed, who had pleaded guilty in 2022 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act. Now, other crypto personalities, such as Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the collapsed FTX exchange and currently serving a 25-year sentence for defrauding customers, are lobbying for political support. Bankman-Fried has expressed admiration for Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, criticized the Biden administration's "inefficiency", and hinted at ongoing talks with Republican operatives.
Elon Musk has argued that by renouncing his U.S. citizenship, Ver may lose his right to a pardon, stating that "Membership has its privileges".[1]
[1] https://www.ccn.com/roger-ver-strikes-deal-to-pay-roger-stone-600000-to-lobby-against-us-exit-tax/[2] https://www.westernjournal.com/roger-ver-hires-roger-stone-to-lobby-against-the-doj/[3] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/roger-ver-hires-roger-stone-lobby-erg-us-crypto-tax-case-2021-03-11/
- Roger Ver, often referred to as "Bitcoin Jesus," is hiring political advisor Roger Stone, known for his Nixon tattoo, for $600,000 to dismantle U.S. tax provisions underpinning the Department of Justice's charges against him, focusing particularly on the "exit tax" for Americans renouncing citizenship, crucial to the alleged $48 million in unpaid taxes Ver owes.
- Stone, a "dirty trickster," has been lobbying lawmakers since February to pressure the removal of these tax provisions, aligning himself with Ver's legal strategy and the pro-crypto movement under the Trump administration.
- The Trump administration's embrace of the cryptocurrency world may pave the way for clemency petitions and policy reversals, providing a potential legal path for Ver to escape prosecution.
- The DOJ accused Ver of multiple crimes, including tax evasion, mail fraud, and filing false tax returns, claiming Ver submitted misleading information about his crypto assets while preparing to renounce his U.S. citizenship and failed to report approximately $240 million in Bitcoin capital gains.
- Trump's second term has already seen a cascade of pardons for crypto-related figures, including Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, and BitMEX co-founders Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, and Samuel Reed.
- In a similar vein, Sam Bankman-Fried, the collapsed FTX exchange founder now serving a 25-year sentence for defrauding customers, is reportedly lobbying for political support, admiring Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, criticizing the Biden administration's "inefficiency," and hinting at ongoing talks with Republican operatives.
