Trump media company subpoenaed in federal criminal probe of SPAC deal

Trump media company subpoenaed in federal criminal probe of SPAC deal


Former U.S. President Donald Trump gives the keynote address at the Faith & Freedom Coalition during their annual “Road To Majority Policy Conference” at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center June 17, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Seth Herald | Getty Images

Donald Trump’s media company was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in connection with a criminal probe, according to the company with which the former president’s firm plans to merge.

Digital World Acquisition Corp. said in a filing Friday that Trump Media and Technology Group received a subpoena from the grand jury in Manhattan on Thursday. The Trump company also received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding a civil probe on Monday, DWAC said.

DWAC also said some current and former TMTG employees have also recently received grand jury subpoenas.

The filing came days after DWAC said the government investigations could delay or even prevent its merger with Trump’s newly formed company, which includes Truth Social, a social media app intended to be an alternative to Twitter.

Neither TMTG nor a spokeswoman for Trump immediately responded to CNBC’s requests for comment.

The Justice Department and the SEC, which regulates the stock market, are investigating the deal between DWAC and Trump Media. By merging with DWAC, which is a kind of shell company called a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, Trump’s firm would gain access to potentially billions of dollars on public equities markets.

Trump established Truth Social months after Twitter banned him for his tweets on Jan. 6, 2021, when hundreds of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a bid to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Trump Media’s CEO is former Rep. Devin Nunes, one of the former president’s most ardent loyalists in the Republican Party. Trump is also considering whether to run for president in the 2024 election.

Trump has continued to spread the lie that the election was stolen from him. His alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection is being probed by a House select committee that has accused the former president of being at the center of a multipronged conspiracy to block the peaceful transfer of power to Biden.

Early criticism of the Trump-DWAC deal came from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. In calling for an investigation, she wrote to SEC Chair Gary Gensler in November, telling him that DWAC “may have committed securities violations by holding private and undisclosed discussions about the merger as early as May 2021, while omitting this information in [SEC] filing and other public statements.”

DWAC shares are far off their highs, closing Friday at $24.20. The stock had surged above $90 in October, after the deal with Trump’s group was announced.

DWAC on Monday revealed in a securities filing that it learned June 16 that each member of its board of directors received subpoenas from the same federal grand jury.

The grand jury sought documents similar to those the SEC already requested as part of its civil probe, DWAC said. The company itself was served with a subpoena a week ago with similar requests, along with other requests relating to communications, individuals and information involving Rocket One Capital.

DWAC also revealed Monday that a board member, Bruce J. Garelick, had told management that he would quit the board during the previous week. Garelick said his resignation “was not the result of any disagreement with Digital World’s operations, policies or practices,” according to the company filing.

— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger and Thomas Franck contributed to this story.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.



Source

How family offices are betting on the sports boom from fantasy apps to pickleball courts
Business

How family offices are betting on the sports boom from fantasy apps to pickleball courts

Key Points A third of investment firms of the ultra-rich have invested in sports, according to a new family office survey by BNY Mellon. While billionaire sports-team buyouts get the headlines, family offices are increasingly investing in adjacent assets like live-viewing venues and betting apps. Here’s how the family offices of ultra-rich sports team owners […]

Read More
Delta’s summer travel outlook tops estimates as CEO says high-end demand is holding up
Business

Delta’s summer travel outlook tops estimates as CEO says high-end demand is holding up

A Boeing 767-332(ER) from Delta Air Lines takes off from Barcelona El Prat Airport in Barcelona on Oct. 8, 2024. Joan Valls | Nurphoto | Getty Images Delta Air Lines trimmed its 2025 profit forecast as it deals with lower-than-expected demand this year and the industry manages a glut of flights, but the carrier’s outlook […]

Read More
Cereal maker WK Kellogg shares jump 50% on report of possible  billion deal with Ferrero
Business

Cereal maker WK Kellogg shares jump 50% on report of possible $3 billion deal with Ferrero

Boxes of various Kellogg’s cereals are displayed on shelves at a Walmart Supercenter on May 6, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Shares of WK Kellogg soared more than 50% on Wednesday following a report that chocolate maker Ferrero is close to a roughly $3 billion deal to buy the cereal company. […]

Read More