1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

Steve Witkoff has been sent by Trump to negotiate the Ukraine War in Moscow, and to negotiate the Iran War in the Middle East. While Witkoff has fallen well short of achieving peace, as his title would suggest, he does seem to have a knack for using his political positions for personal gain. Perhaps he has learned something from his sleazy boss. In his most recent financial disclosure, Witkoff reported more than 250 million dollars in income and more than 400 million in assets on a government salary. And that is likely a low estimate, given the form lists many of his holdings as “over 50 million” with no ceiling. Where did his grift come from? Look no further than his business associations with the Trump family. Witkoff made about 107 million from the holding company that owned his stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto company he founded with Trump and his three sons. Last year, it became highly lucrative when an Emirati firm dubiously bought a major stake. And let me remind you: Witkoff’s financial disclosure comes from just a year in government. Imagine what kind of backdoor deals he might pull off as long as Trump remains president. The White House claims that his business practices had nothing to do with his diplomacy, following their typical defense of corrupt administration officials. The Atlantic has a different opinion. Its most recent piece argues that this administration has only one foreign policy legacy: making the world safer for elites engaged in corruption. And Witkoff is just one beneficiary. Think about his record as a peace envoy. He hasn’t ended a single war. But he did make 250 million dollars while trying. In Trump’s Washington, that’s what success looks like.