Bipartisan talks over the CLARITY Act News are starting to get messy, with ethics rules now turning into a major sticking point. According to journalist Eleanor Terrett, a Democratic source described the latest Senate meeting as “rocky,” saying Republicans and the White House pulled back from an earlier agreement made before last month’s Senate Banking Committee markup.
That deal reportedly included a provision allowing state attorneys general to sue the Department of Justice if officials did not enforce certain crypto ethics rules.
Republicans are pushing back on that version. GOP sources say senators who were not part of the original talks later raised concerns, especially about granting state attorneys general the power to take legal action against federal officials, including members of Congress.
On top of that, Politico’s Brendan Pedersen reported that Republicans floated a weaker version of crypto ethics guardrails during the latest bipartisan meeting, showing the issue is still far from settled.
Law Enforcement Concerns Add More Pressure
It’s not just ethics causing tension. Terrett also reports that White House officials will meet law enforcement groups at the White House to address concerns about parts of the CLARITY Act. The concern is that some developer protections, tied to the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, could make it harder to go after illicit finance.
Sources say these concerns need to be addressed before the bill can even reach the Senate floor. Several Democrats are already signaling they won’t back the legislation unless law enforcement feels comfortable with the final version.
At the same time, the crypto industry is actively trying to win support. There have been town halls, fly-ins, and outreach efforts involving former law enforcement officials now working in crypto.
With ethics fights on one side and law enforcement concerns on the other, the CLARITY Act is clearly facing one of its toughest rounds of negotiations yet.