More than 65 cryptocurrency and blockchain companies and advocacy organizations are calling on U.S. President Trump to intervene, as federal prosecutors may be preparing to refile charges against Tornado Cash co-founder and developer Roman Storm.
In a letter dated Thursday and shared with Cointelegraph, advocacy organizations including the Solana Policy Research Institute, the Blockchain Association, and the DeFi Education Fund made several requests regarding crypto-related policies.
These groups are asking Trump to direct the IRS and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to clarify tax policies for digital assets, protect DeFi from regulatory interference, and promote regulatory clarity through financial regulatory agencies such as the SEC and CFTC.
However, it is noteworthy that the letter also requests Trump to "urge the Department of Justice to withdraw all pending charges against Roman Storm" and support overturning his conviction for operating an unlicensed money transmission service.
"It should be recognized that Storm's work on Tornado Cash represents the release of open-source software—not financial crime," the letter states. "Dropping the case would reaffirm the government's commitment to protecting developers. Doing so would further support the notion that 'code is speech' under the First Amendment and send a signal that the U.S. will protect innovation."
Storm has been found guilty by a federal court for operating an unlicensed money transmission business, which is one of the three charges he faces. The jury has yet to rule on whether this Tornado Cash co-founder was involved in conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate sanctions.
Storm, who was indicted on three felony charges in August 2023, has pleaded not guilty. He has repeatedly asserted his innocence, echoing the slogan of many supporters: "Writing code is not a crime."
About two weeks after the verdict, a Department of Justice official stated at a summit hosted by the cryptocurrency advocacy organization American Innovation Project that "merely writing code, without malicious intent, is not a crime." The speaker was Matthew Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ's Criminal Division.
Despite Galeotti's statement, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton filed documents with the court on November 12 opposing Storm's motion for a not guilty verdict. As of Thursday, both parties are scheduled to return to court on January 22 for a hearing on this matter, and there has yet to be a sentencing hearing for this separate conviction in the public record.
While the U.S. President has some influence over the DOJ in setting policy goals, long-established norms primarily serve to prevent the President from infringing on prosecutorial independence, specifically preventing the President from ordering federal prosecutors to drop charges or prosecute someone.
Cointelegraph reached out to the Solana Policy Research Institute regarding the letter requesting Trump’s intervention in the Storm case but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Related: U.S. SEC to hold a roundtable on privacy and financial surveillance in December
Original article: “Advocacy Groups Urge Trump to Intervene in Roman Storm Retrial”
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