If their lawyers are at all competent, they structured it so it's not illegal (though it's pretty obviously adjacent to bribery). With both houses of Congress turning blue, I 'predict' they'll dump Don Jr by the end of January to claw back the unvested equity.

> they structured it so it's not illegal (though it's pretty obviously adjacent to bribery)

Maybe. One usually can't structure around criminal law. If they managed to, somehow, the Congress needs to investigate to amend the law to ensure you can't structure around obvious bribery.

Either way, a criminal investigation by the states is warranted.

> One usually can't structure around criminal law.

I don't see how that applies in this context which is pretty simple. The transaction with Don Jr. was a board advisory role in exchange for equity. Broadly, bribery is "paying to influence the actions or decisions of a public official." Don Jr. isn't an official. He signed a contract to provide board advisory services. The contract wouldn't say anything about anything else. I've been a board advisor and signed a similar contract (if not the same one, they're quite pro forma).

Absent a secret recording establishing payment for influence, there's nothing to prove bribery. Do I think making him an advisor was done in the hope it would influence his father to promote and sign favorable legislation? Absolutely. Do I think there's any chance evidence exists to prosecute that? No.

> bribery is "paying to influence the actions or decisions of a public official." Don Jr. isn't an official

Nadine Menendez wasn't an official. She still went to jail for corruption [1].

> Absent a secret recording establishing payment for influence, there's nothing to prove bribery

Or a text. Or demonstration of policy moves by the Trump administration that benefited Kalshi.

Even if the criminal investigation doesn't yield proof beyond reasonable doubt, it could then be turned into a civil case against Kalshi's officers and Don Jr.

> Democrat controlled congressional committee

Sure. It should also be pursued by state AGs. Trump can't pardon a state conviction.

[1] https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/nadine-menendez-sentenc...

Unfortunately this is routine and common. The Biden family received over a million dollars from Chinese state energy company State Energy HK, among other conflicts of interest.

This stuff goes back decades, and I suspect both parties look the other way because when they get in power they're doing the exact same thing.

> The Biden family received over a million dollars from Chinese state energy company State Energy HK

...at a time when no Biden family member held elected office or was running for elected office and no Biden family member worked for the federal government.

Are you seriously going to compare that to things the Trump family does while Trump is President?!

What about the things Hunter did while Biden was SoS? That's a pretty direct link given Biden pressured Ukraine to fire a prosecutor that was entangled with his son's business dealings.