A Department of Justice case that appears to involve leaders of a cryptocurrency company with ties to President Donald Trump is now proceeding entirely in secret.
The DOJ amended the case last week after NOTUS revealed that the alleged scam it detailed appeared to dupe executives behind MoonPay. Federal prosecutors also filed a separate sealed motion, and by Monday the court had sealed the entire case.
While the DOJ regularly redacts victims’ names, prosecutors do not typically seal entire cases unless they touch on sensitive national security matters or deal with ongoing investigations. The DOJ’s decision to initially file the cryptocurrency case in public — and issue a widely distributed press release about the charges — suggests it is not premised on highly sensitive information.