Speaking candidly on the May 21st episode of her podcast, Talk Tuah, Welch said her meme coin briefly landed her on the radar of federal authorities.
Welch revealed that shortly after the Hawk Tuah (HAWK) token launch, the FBI showed up at her grandmother’s home seeking to question her. The visit, which she described as terrifying for her grandmother, was triggered by suspicions surrounding the HAWK token, which plummeted in value and raised several red flags in the crypto community.
Haliey Welch Talking About Her Meme Coin On Her ‘Talk Tuah’ Podcast
Source: YouTube
Welch recounted on her podcast:
“After the coin launch, the feds came to granny’s house and knocked on her door. She called me, having a heart attack, saying: ‘The FBI is here after you, what have you done?’”
Welch rose to fame in mid-2023 after a YouTube vox pop interview featuring her now-famous “Hawk Tuah” catchphrase about a sex act went viral. The clip launched her into internet stardom and opened doors to multiple brand opportunities, some of which, like the HAWK token, would eventually backfire.
The HAWK token launched in early December but rapidly lost 90% of its value. Bubblemaps highlighted that several insider wallets and automated snipers had aggressively bought and dumped large portions of the token shortly after launch, leading to allegations of a classic exit scam.
In addition to the FBI, Welch shared that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also got involved. According to her, the SEC asked her to hand over her phone, which she did for a few days as part of their investigation.
Welch’s attorney, James Sallah, later confirmed to TMZ that the SEC closed the investigation without making any findings against, or seeking any monetary sanctions from, Haliey.
On her podcast, Welch acknowledged that she had minimal knowledge about crypto before getting involved with HAWK. She admitted she had placed her trust in the wrong individuals, which led to the fiasco.
She said a company, whose name she couldn’t disclose for legal reasons, was responsible for controlling her X account and posting promotional content. Welch claimed she was simply given scripts to record and had no direct involvement with how the coin was managed or marketed.
“I trusted the wrong people,” she repeated, noting that on the day of the meme coin’s launch, she already suspected something wasn’t right.
Despite being the face of the HAWK token promotion, Welch emphasized that she never profited from the cryptocurrency itself. She stated that she was paid a flat marketing fee and that all of the money went toward legal and public relations expenses once things started to spiral.
A Now Deleted Post Detailing HAWK’s Tokenomics
Source: X (@HalieyWelchX)
During the podcast, she said:
“I didn’t make a dime off the actual meme coin, I had no idea what was going on to be honest.”
While Welch has been cleared by both the FBI and SEC, she expressed genuine regret for her role in the debacle. She admitted that her lack of understanding about crypto contributed to the situation and apologized to fans who invested based on her endorsement.
She said:
“It makes me feel really bad that they trusted me, and I led them to something I didn’t fully understand. I knew I wasn’t equipped for this, but I got talked into it.”
Haliey Welch’s experience serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of influencer involvement in unregulated crypto promotions.
While she may have avoided legal consequences, the fallout from the HAWK token continues to impact her public image and trust among her followers.
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Content Strategist
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