From CEX.IO to Charlie Kirk: Crypto, Cover-Ups, and the Lobby No One Wants to Name

ILON News has been investigating CEX.IO for over 18 months. This Ukrainian-owned crypto exchange has been accused by insiders and whistleblowers of stealing customer funds, manipulating regulators, and serving as a political tool. At the same time, the case of Charlie Kirk — who in the months before his death publicly expressed frustration with Israel lobby pressure — raises questions about how far influence networks will go to protect their interests.

*This article does not claim a direct connection between these two cases, but the patterns of regulatory blind spots, political pressure, and silence from mainstream outlets demand scrutiny.

The CEX.IO Scandal: From Mueller to Regulators, and Beyond

When Robert Mueller’s indictment against 12 Russian GRU officers was released in July 2018, one name buried deep on page 37 stood out: CEX.IO, a London-registered, Ukrainian-owned crypto exchange with offices in Kiev. It was the only cryptocurrency platform singled out as allegedly facilitating transactions for Russian military intelligence. The detail was extraordinary, but stranger still was what came next: instead of being sanctioned or shut down, CEX.IO’s global influence expanded.

Named in the Mueller Report

CEX.IO’s inclusion in the Mueller Report was never followed by charges, enforcement, or even a formal denial from the company itself. No other crypto exchange was named, and no explanation was given as to why this single entity was highlighted. Critics argue that its mention served less as hard evidence and more as a tool to reinforce the Russiagate narrative that dogged Donald Trump’s first term. Former U.S. congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has since confirmed that U.S. intelligence doubted Russia’s capacity to materially alter the 2016 election—further calling into question why CEX.IO appeared at all.

Three Months Later: A Quiet Visit to Jerusalem

Even more extraordinary was what happened next. Just three months after the Mueller Report was released, CEX.IO’s CEO Oleksandr Lutskevych and Managing Director Oksana Kunets appeared on the attendee list of a high-level Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce delegation.

• No major press coverage reported the visit.
• The announcement appeared only in Hebrew, buried on the Chamber’s website.
• Group photos of the delegation were carefully framed, with the CEX.IO representatives absent.

A whistleblower later said: “It was all fixed. We just needed to be quiet for a while.” This statement explains both the missing photos and the deliberate lack of publicity. Rather than being sidelined, CEX.IO was quietly being welcomed into Israeli business circles at the very moment they should have been facing scrutiny.

The Regulatory Shell Game

False Claims and a Cease-and-Desist

In the U.S., the company went further, falsely claiming coverage under American regulators. This triggered a cease-and-desist notice for misrepresentation. Yet no action followed. Dozens of crypto firms have been fined or destroyed for lesser violations, but CEX.IO walked away untouched. The lack of accountability suggests something more than luck—protection at the highest levels, or a bargain struck behind closed doors.

Customer Losses and Regulator Silence

While CEX.IO played games with regulators, its users paid the price. Complaints across the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and TrustPilot reveal a consistent pattern: frozen withdrawals, inaccessible accounts, and in many cases, stolen funds. An ILON whistleblower confirmed that executives internally dismissed these losses as “PR issues” rather than systemic failures. Even though regulators were made aware of these issues, little was done beyond quiet warnings. Consumers were sacrificed to keep the platform afloat.

ILON News Hacked (2024)

When ILON News began publishing investigations into CEX.IO, the outlet itself became a target. In 2024, the site was hacked, archives were wiped, and research files disappeared. Insider emails later linked the attack to actors with ties to CEX.IO. The assault on a press outlet investigating corporate misconduct should have sparked outrage from regulators and defenders of free speech. Instead, there was silence—another clue that the company was under powerful protection.

The Kent Connection

One name repeatedly linked to CEX.IO’s shielded survival is George Kent, the former U.S. State Department official known for his role in Ukraine policy. According to insiders, Kent visited CEX.IO’s Kyiv offices in 2017 in the lead-up to the Mueller Report. Soon after, internal compliance concerns at the company “vanished,” and staff were told to “stay quiet.” Today, after leaving government service, Kent is cycling across the United States raising money for the Ukrainian war effort—a symbolic continuation of the same political and financial networks that shielded CEX.IO from accountability.

Conclusion

Taken together, the evidence paints a damning picture. CEX.IO was:

• Named in one of the most politically explosive U.S. indictments of the century.
• Invited to Jerusalem three months later, quietly integrated into elite circles with no media coverage.
• Never punished for false regulatory claims.
• Shielded through a web of shell companies and temporary licenses.
• Accused of freezing or stealing customer funds with impunity.
• Linked to a direct attack on independent media reporting the truth.
• Tied to U.S. officials still publicly championing Ukraine today.

CEX.IO’s trajectory—from being implicated in the Mueller Report to mingling in Jerusalem’s business elite within three months—suggests not a company surviving scrutiny, but one actively protected for political ends. In a world where crypto firms are routinely crushed by regulators, the question remains: why was CEX.IO untouchable?

Charlie Kirk and Lobbyist Pressure

On Megyn Kelly’s Podcast (2025):
In a revealing interview with Megyn Kelly, Charlie Kirk openly admitted that he was receiving increasingly hostile messages from powerful pro-Israel donors and lobbyists. He described the intensity of this pressure campaign as unprecedented, hinting at a coordinated effort to keep him aligned with their expectations. His frustration was evident as he spoke, suggesting a man grappling with the growing demands placed on him by influential figures.

Shift in Position:
Kirk had built much of his career as one of America’s loudest defenders of Israel. His organization, Turning Point USA, frequently championed pro-Israel policies and worked closely with allies of AIPAC. However, in the months leading up to his death, Kirk’s tone began to change. Reports indicate he started questioning the scale and morality of Israel’s actions in Gaza, voicing concerns over civilian casualties. For some of his major donors and backers, this apparent “shift” represented not just disagreement, but betrayal.

Insider Accounts:
Colleagues and associates of Kirk have suggested that he confided privately about what he was experiencing. According to them, Kirk admitted to receiving “hate mail” and veiled threats from influential pro-Israel lobbyists. Candace Owens later claimed that Kirk told her he was approached with direct demands to tone down his criticism of Israel and “get back on script.” These insider accounts add a troubling dimension — suggesting that the campaign against Kirk was not only ideological but also personal.

Unverified but Claimed:
Perhaps most explosively, some sources allege that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself reached out to Kirk. According to these claims, Netanyahu invited Kirk to visit Israel for a private meeting, possibly to “reset” their relationship. Kirk allegedly refused the invitation, a decision that, if true, could have amplified the hostility directed at him. These allegations remain unverified, but they align with Kirk’s own acknowledgment of the intense pressure he faced.

Aftermath:
Following Kirk’s assassination, Netanyahu categorically denied any suggestion of Israeli involvement, calling such theories “insane” and “outrageous.” Israeli officials, as well as major U.S. media outlets, have dismissed these allegations outright. Yet the sequence of events — Kirk’s shift in stance, the pressure campaign, his refusal to cooperate, and his sudden death — has fuelled ongoing speculation about whether there was more behind his murder than what official narratives suggest.

Hypothesis: Lobbying, Gaza, and the Silencing of Dissent

The events surrounding CEX.IO, the Mueller Report, and Charlie Kirk’s assassination cannot be dismissed as isolated. Taken together, they point to a broader pattern in which U.S. foreign policy, domestic politics, and even the crypto economy are shaped to serve Israeli interests through aggressive lobbying and influence campaigns.

Gaza and the Need for U.S. Cover

The Israeli government’s military operations in Gaza, described by critics as collective punishment or worse, depend on unwavering U.S. backing. Without Washington’s diplomatic shield at the UN and billions in annual military aid, these campaigns would face global censure and real consequences. Ensuring that U.S. politicians and influencers remain firmly “pro-Israel” is therefore a strategic imperative.

The Lobbying Machine at Work

Groups like AIPAC and associated donor networks spend hundreds of millions of dollars each election cycle to keep members of Congress aligned with Israel’s priorities. Similar efforts extend into the media and social platforms, where influencers amplify pro-Israel talking points. This machinery doesn’t merely encourage support — it punishes dissent. Rising conservative voices like Charlie Kirk were valuable assets when echoing the pro-Israel line, but once he began questioning Gaza operations, lobbyists turned hostile.

Charlie Kirk: From Ally to Liability

Kirk himself admitted on Megyn Kelly’s podcast that he was being bombarded by hostile emails and pressure from pro-Israel donors. According to colleagues, he confided he was receiving hate mail from influential lobbyists, and Candace Owens claimed he had been directly approached with demands to adjust his rhetoric. Reports — though unverified — suggest Netanyahu personally invited him to Israel, an offer Kirk refused. Days later, he was assassinated. While Netanyahu angrily dismissed any suggestion of Israeli involvement, the timing and intensity of lobbying pressure raise serious questions.

CEX.IO and the Political Trade-Off

CEX.IO’s story ties into this same system of selective enforcement and political maneuvering. Named in the Mueller Report for allegedly facilitating GRU transactions, it should have been shut down or sanctioned. Instead, it survived regulatory scrutiny, found shelter through FCA intermediaries, and just three months after the indictment was quietly welcomed into Israeli business circles. Whistleblower accounts suggest this was no accident: “We just needed to stay quiet for a while.”

A Message Sent

When influencers like Kirk began to diverge from the approved narrative on Gaza, the lobbying machine had a choice: tolerate dissent, or make an example. The sudden shift from pressure to silence suggests the latter. Whether through financial blackmail, political exile, or — in Kirk’s case — something darker, the message is clear: crossing Israel’s red lines on Gaza comes with consequences.