Faryar Shirzad, the Chief Policy Officer at Coinbase, has responded to allegations from U.S. Senator Chris Murphy about the company’s involvement with the Trump administration. In a recent post on X, Shirzad highlighted that Coinbase is “proud to have supported the building of a new ballroom” amid accusations of corruption.

Senator Murphy had previously suggested that Coinbase’s financial contributions to a political action committee and the funding of the upcoming 2025 inauguration were linked to favorable decisions from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). According to him, the correlation implies that Coinbase played a role in Trump’s “corruption factory.”

Source: Senator Chris Murphy

In response, Shirzad clarified that the funding for the ballroom was supported by several companies and described the PAC as “nonpartisan.” He addressed the senator’s claim that Trump expected a significant donation for the ballroom construction, asserting that many donations have historically gone towards prior inaugurations.

The White House project, which was announced to be a 90,000 square-foot ballroom, faced scrutiny when recent photographs indicated that the East Wing had been fully demolished for its construction, contradicting Trump’s statements that it would not affect this part of the building.

Furthermore, Shirzad mentioned that Coinbase is not the primary contractor for this project, suggesting that any discontent regarding its progress should not be directed towards them.

Coinbase continues to maintain its engagement with lawmakers, as their CEO Brian Armstrong recently met with legislators to discuss pending crypto market legislation amidst an ongoing government shutdown. As legislation progresses, its focus regarding cryptocurrencies remains uncertain.